


Close To Gold

by Bombs_on_Monday



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Theatre, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Cop AU, Falling In Love, M/M, Referenced Sex, Theatre AU, also this is like, an alternate universe where there IS no camp, i actually dont know what tags im suppose to do, my first time sharing a fic? ahaha this might suck ass, sorry if it does, these fuckers just run around making out in a random place, this is like, this was gonna be two different ffs but i decided to merge them for unknown reasons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2019-03-21
Packaged: 2019-08-09 05:08:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 20
Words: 50,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16443509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bombs_on_Monday/pseuds/Bombs_on_Monday
Summary: When David accidentally climbs into the wrong room while trying to hang out with his girlfriend, he meets a blue eyed boy named Daniel and falls in love. Then, Daniel disappears, and David has to grow up without him. Until, one day...





	1. Windows To The Soul

David scratched the side of his face. Though it was said multiple times on his way here, he couldn't remember if it was the left window or the right. He stood on his toes and tried to get a better view of the rooms, but they were on the second floor, and he was on the first. Both windows had lights on, which didn't make it any easier.

Flipping a mental coin, he decided that his right was his best bet. Even if it wasn’t her room, he could just climb back out of the window and climb into the other one. It's not like anyone else lived there but her. He carefully made his way up, boots almost slipping on the slanted roof, and knocked on the window. He knew that her parents slept on the first floor, so he didn’t have to worry about waking them.

The window slid open, and David rolled in with ease. But when he looked up, he saw that it wasn’t his girlfriend’s room he just rolled into, but a surprisingly handsome boy’s room. Swept back blond hair and icy blue eyes, a calm smile and relaxed, yet elegant, posture.

David found himself staring.

The boy cleared his throat and waved. David regained his composure and stood up. “Uh, s-sorry I was looking...for...” he suddenly forgot his girlfriend’s name. The blond chuckled at his nervous stuttering.

“You’ve got the wrong room. I’m her ‘roommate’, I suppose you would call it.” He spoke smoothly, completely serene. “Gwen is in the next room over. Have fun you two.” The boy waved and returned to his desk.

David stood in the middle of the room, awestruck and in a daze, blushing deeply. The boy turned back to him, an amused smile on his face.

“You okay over there? You seem a bit...out of it.” David could tell that this blond knew damn well why he was ‘a bit out of it’ by his stupid smirk, but said nothing.

The boy stood. “Door is that way.” He pointed towards the only door in the room. David blinked and nodded. “Uh, um thank...you...” The blond held it open for him.

“Next time, don’t forget where your lover is.” The door shut. David made his way to Gwen’s room, the boy still on his mind.

* * *

 

School dragged on, but this time David had something to look forward to. Tired of being alone at home, he joined the stage crew for theater. He had experience sewing, so he was recruited as the costume designer. David was a bit sad that he missed auditions, but was happy he could help nonetheless.

David practically bounced into the room, but stopped dead in his tracks. The boy from last night was here. He was chatting with the stage director with the script in his hands. His sky blue eyes glittered as soon as they laid eyes on David. He offered a small wave and a smile, which David nervously returned, a blush blooming across his face.

The stage director called everyone to sit in the house. David found an empty spot near the end in the second row. His heartbeat sped up when the boy took a seat next to him.

“Good afternoon! My name is Miss Grey, but you can call me Darla. So, this year we will be performing ‘Cinderella’! I know you probably wanted something a bit more modern, but we have a better budget this year and I wanted to do something a bit more nostalgic for everyone. Also we have a limited amount of actors, so I felt this would be easier on our low supply.”

Darla turned a page in a small blue notebook. “We have a few new people on the staff, but we are limited on time as well, so we’ll get to know you as we go!” She closed the notebook and gave everyone a big smile. “Okay everyone! Let’s get to work! Actors, please follow me to the choir room so we can warm up and practice the songs, and the rest of the crew can get started on their jobs!”

Cheers echoed in the room. David stood up, clutching his sketchbook to his chest. He was excited, but anxious at the same time. He was the only costume designer. What if he messed up?

He noticed that The Boy had followed the actors into the choir room, and wondered who he was playing.

The stage crew director, Eliza, gathered the crew and gave out orders and folders with information and instructions.

“And this year we have a costume designer! Everyone say hello to David!” David gave an awkward wave as everyone greeted him and welcomed him to the team. Eliza handed him a green folder. “There isn’t much, but I’m sure that you could do some of your own research on what kind of costumes the actors need to fit the time period. We’re counting on you!” She smiled, and David nodded, already feeling dizzy.

“The costume room is backstage and to the right. Hopefully there is some stuff in there that can be helpful.” Eliza said. He nodded again.

Eliza clapped her hands. “Alright! Let’s get working! We have only four weeks until our first dress rehearsal. We need everything up and working by then, so get busy!” The crew dispersed.

David made his way to the costume room. He was glad they were doing a play with such interesting clothing. He loved the skirts that the girls got to wear back then. He would be lying if he said he hadn’t thought about trying on some skirts himself, but if he did, he’d probably never hear the end of it.

The costume room was messy, drawers and dressers stuffed to the brim with scarves and shoes and fabric. It made David a bit dazed. As he searched the mess, he found some good material and a few dresses and shirts that could work for the ensemble. Satisfied with his findings, he went to work on the outfits for Cinderella and the Prince. He wanted to do them by hand, so he would have to call them in to get measurements.

A good hour or two later, David had settled on a design he liked for the ensemble and Cinderella and the Prince and exited the room. Not only to share his ideas, but to ask for their measurements. He found Darla and let her look.

“Wow, David these are perfect! I’ll go find them right away!” David glowed, relieved he did it right. He let his shoulders relax, but they tensed up immediately when The Boy walked into the room, chatting with Darla and another girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

“Here are Cinderella and the Prince! Have fun!” Darla skipped out of the room. David locked eyes with The Boy. He swallowed a lump and tried to calm his pounding heart. “Uh-uh, h-hi. I need-I need y-your meh-sir-mints—er...measurements.” David stuttered. He blushed and covered his face with his hands. The girl was unimpressed, but The Boy seemed amused, chuckling lightly.

“Whatever. Let’s get this done, I have somewhere to be.” The girl stepped forward. David nodded and began measuring her. He write down the numbers and made a few notes on how he wanted the dress to fit. “Do you think you’d be comfortable with lace?” He asked. The girl scoffed. “I don’t care.” David frowned but wrote down ‘lace is OK’.  
The girl left. It was The Boy’s turn. He radiated confidence. It intimidated David, but he was charmed at the same time. He measured, took some notes and a deep breath. The Boy didn’t leave though.

“How often do you do this?” He asked calmly. David swallowed. His heart was pounding out of his chest. “Uh, I don’t know, m-maybe a few times a month?” He replied, standing up. The Boy smiled. “You seem very talented. I’m impressed. Gwen sure is lucky to have you.”

David blushed and looked down, trying to hide a smile. The Boy placed a knuckle under his chin and lifted it up to look at him. David’s face was basically on fire. “I can’t wait to see what you’ll make.” Suddenly, his warmth was gone. David stood alone, blushing deeply.

Uh oh.

 

That night, David could hear the most enchanting voice from The Boy’s window. Curious, he climbed up to the roof and sat next to the open window, listening intently to his voice. His heart fluttered as he heard The Boy practice his song for the play. The words meant nothing, just his voice entranced David. The song ended on a note that sent shivers down his spine.

David ducked from the window and sighed dreamily. My, could that boy sing.

Suddenly the window opened. David jumped and lost his footing. Just as he was about to fall, a hand grabbed him and pulled him through the window. He flopped in ungracefully on his back, panting. When he looked up, the blond boy was grinning at him.

“Hello again.”

David fixed his hair and stood up quickly, face already red. “Uh, h-hi again.” He replied. The Boy just chuckled. “I take it you’re here for Gwen again, yes?” He turned to the bed and picked up the script, then placed it on his desk. It was a simple action, but he made it seem elegant and graceful. David nodded, flustered.

“Again, she is in the other room, dear.” The Boy opened the door. David was about to walk out, but stopped himself. “W-wait, I...I don’t know your name.” He stuttered.

The Boy smiled, and then looked at the ground, hiding a faint blush. He looked back up. “It’s Daniel. And you are...?” He held out his hand, palm up. David placed his hand in his and beamed back. “David.” Daniel brought his hand to his lips and kissed his knuckles. David almost died then and there.

Daniel dropped David’s hand gently and smiled. “I’ll see you later, David.” David just nodded and walked out. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure if he liked Gwen anymore.

* * *

 

David was back at home with a sketchbook in his lap. He liked doing watercolor in his spare time, and he was good at drawing clothes, but he had never really drawn a face. He was almost nervous to, absolutely sure that it would turn out horrible. He let his pen float there for a minute before he swallowed his fears and began drawing.

He started with the eyes, as they were the feature he thought about the most. Then, the nose. He moved on to the lips, then outlined the face. The hair was the most difficult part, and he had to erase several times. Soon, he finished the portrait. He set his pen down and held it all the way out. It didn’t look as good as he wanted it to, but it didn’t matter. He would have time to practice.

He carefully ripped the paper out of the sketchbook and pinned it to his wall. He didn’t have to write a name underneath it; he already knew who it was. He sat there, staring at it for longer than he should have. Smiling faintly to himself, he crawled into bed, and let the drawing on the wall watch over him while he slept.


	2. Out With It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew talk about their future.

David arrived in the theater with an arm full of complete costumes.

It had been a few weeks of not seeing Daniel, and since then David had decided to end things with Gwen. He told her before school ended that day and let her down gently. She shed some tears, but told David that she would be okay. He hugged her, and they parted. Gwen ran out crying, but David felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

The actors had finished practicing the songs and choreography and were ready to put it all together. David sat in the house for the rehearsal with the rest of the stage crew. A dry run through with no sound or lights, just the actors.

When it was Daniel’s turn to sing or speak his well-practiced lines, David couldn’t help but swoon. His voice was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard. Daniel was both the Prince and a townsfolk. He nailed both parts.

Daniel was what Darla called a ‘triple threat’, which she explained meant that he was talented at singing, dancing, and acting. David had to agree.

Rehearsal ended, and the actors gathered in the choir room. Curious, David peeked his head in. He listened for a few minutes, learning that not only was Daniel a great actor, but also a funny and interesting guy. He cracked jokes that made the whole group laugh, and chimed in with stories of his own at appropriate times. It was like he knew exactly what to say to get people to adore him. David wished he could do the same.

"I can see you, David." Daniel's voice broke David out of his thoughts. He met the blond's eyes as a few people laughed, face growing red. "You can join us. We don't mind, right guys?" The room echoed with "nah"s and "nope"s. 

David anxiously stepped into the room and made his way over to the circle. Everyone was looking at him. His face felt like it was on fire. He awkwardly stood next to Jen, the actress who played Cinderella. David kept his eyes to the floor.

"So, David, we were talking about what we think lies in our future. We've discussed all of our aspirations and what we want our careers to be like. I'm dying to know yours, if you're willing." Daniel explained smoothly. David almost smiled.

"Uh, I don't know, I've...kind of always wanted to be a police officer." David said quickly.

Daniel hummed and nodded. "Why?"

Suddenly, David looked up. He studied the boy in front of him carefully. His eyes showed genuine curiosity, and his smile didn't seem mocking. Just like the first time he met him, his posture was relaxed and confident. David allowed himself to loosen up a bit.

"O-oh, well, I think...um, I just... want to help people who can't help themselves. Even small things, like returning a stolen purse. I think those things can still help society and make the world a better place. And...my grandpa was a cop. A really cool one, too. I want to make him proud." David left it off there to prevent any further rambling.

The room was quiet. Some people nodded, others mouthed 'wow'. Daniel was grinning ear-to-ear, his blue eyes sparkling. "That's incredibly admirable, David. I think you'd make a brilliant police officer, and I'm sure your grandfather would be very proud." He said. David blushed and smiled at the floor. His stomach didn't even exist anymore; it was just butterflies now.

* * *

David was making some last-minute adjustments to the costumes so they would be ready for the dress rehearsal next week when Daniel strolled in, charming as always. He flashed David a smile and sat down next to him on the floor. They were both silent for a moment  before Daniel spoke.

"I'm sorry if I forced you out of your comfort zone earlier. I promise, I had no ill intent. I just wanted to get to know you a little better." Daniel said.

David smiled. "No, it's fine. I just...I've never really been asked that question. I was taught to tell people as little about myself as possible, so I guess it's sort of a reflex."  _And you sounded genuinely interested, so how could I say no?_  

Daniel sighed in relief. "Good. I would never try to make you uncomfortable on purpose," he said. "So, how are the costumes coming along?" 

David almost swooned out loud. “Well, I’m almost done with your costume, I just have to add the buttons. Jen’s dress is done, save for this one seam that keeps ripping. Besides that, they’re pretty much done.” David explained, pointing to the articles of clothing.

The blond nodded intently. “How are you doing? Are you enjoying stage crew?” He asked.

“I love it! It’s so fun! Everyone is so nice and helpful!” He gushed.

Daniel tilted his head and smiled. “You have a gorgeous smile.” He said.

David gasped quietly. He wasn't at all use to sincere compliments. How could he  _not_ be in love with this boy? It was almost like he was begging him to fall in love with him. Not that he was complaining.

"O-oh. T-thank you..." David said, trying to hide his red face in his sweater. Daniel laughed, and David's heart swelled. He couldn't help but giggle a bit as well. 

After their laughter died down, Daniel stood. "Well, I'll leave you to it. I have to get home; I'm expecting someone," he winked, "I'm so glad you like it here, and I assure you everyone likes you, too." And just like that, he was gone.

 David packed as quickly as he could. He could finish the costumes on Saturday. Right now, he had to go see someone.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one is a bit shorter, but i promise the next chapter will be worth it ;)


	3. My Monsoon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Unlike a sky copious with death,  
> Precipitation of heart and head..."  
> finally, some action.

It was raining. David didn't mind, except for the fact that the roof would be slippery and he wasn't a fan of wet clothes. The thought that soaking wet clothes and  _wet socks_ made this whole thing totally not worth it didn't even cross his mind, though. The drawing on the wall didn’t look enough like him to keep him satisfied, he had to see the real thing. Not to mention, he was pretty sure he had gotten an invitation.

He arrived at Gwen’s house, nervously playing with the hem of his already-damp shirt. Before he had broken up with her, he would climb into her room just to spend time with her, even if he didn't really enjoy it himself. Gwen seemed to like it, though, so he kept doing it.

On his way up, he would always linger at Daniel's window, secretly hoping that he would open the window and invite him in. That never happened, because every time David passed his window, he was busy either practicing his lines or doing homework.

David liked watching him work. Daniel had a tendency to bite a knuckle when he was frustrated, then run his fingers through his hair and sigh deeply. Any movement he made completely entranced David. David was embarrassed that it was so easy; it was kind of pathetic. Still, he would watch and fall even more in love with the boy who didn't seem to notice him. He was wrong in his assumption that Daniel never saw him, however. Daniel always saw him, and shamefully tried to be cute to win him over. It was working, but he would never admit that he did it.

David contemplated knocking on the door to save him the trouble of climbing the slanted roof in the rain, but he knew that Gwen’s parents would answer the door before anyone else could. Really, he had no other choice but to take the cliche method. Not like he was complaining, it was definitely more romantic, and that's exactly what he was going for. 

Slowly but surely, David began to scale the side of the house. He made it onto the roof and carefully made his way over to the window closest to him. He almost slipped several times, but managed to keep steady. Luckily he wore boots with a good grip today. His heart was pounding out of his chest as he knocked on the window.

The curtains were pulled back to reveal the gorgeous blue eyes of Daniel. He tilted his head and smiled, opening the window to let David in. David carefully stepped in, still holding his breath. He only allowed himself to breathe when his entire body was safely inside the room.

“Well, well. You just can’t stay away, can you?” Daniel laughed. David blushed and shrugged. “Unfortunately, Gwen is at a friend’s house tonight. Apparently her boyfriend broke up with her, and she needed some comfort.” He said, closing the window. “Such a shame. I heard he was ‘super cute’.” He turned back to David. “Oh, darling, you’re dripping on the carpet. Let me get you a towel.”

Daniel left the room and returned with two white towels. He wrapped one around David’s shoulders and began drying his hair with the other one. “I wonder why he broke up with her.” Daniel murmured. “It really is a shame. I was hoping to see him climb through my window again.” He stopped rubbing the towel on David’s hair and smiled. “She chose well. He is rather adorable when his face is bright red like that.” David buried his face in the towel, utterly embarrassed but hiding a grin.

The blond laughed and went back to drying his hair. “Mind if I ask why you’re here?” He said, breaking the charade.

David uncovered his face. “Uh...um, n-no...no r-reason. Why, were you...expecting someone _other_ than me?” He muttered, eyes glued to the carpet.

Daniel laughed. “I thought it was obvious by the wink that I was expecting _only_ you. I'm glad you decided to stop by. Believe it or not, I didn't think you would come." 

David glanced up, then continued to blush at the floor. "O-oh. Good to know," he smiled to himself. "You better make my time here worth it. I could be at home enjoying some hot cocoa right now, but instead I get the pleasure of being here, in wet clothes." He said bravely.

Daniel burst out laughing, letting go of the towel to cover his half of his face. David couldn't help but laugh along with him.

Soon, their laughter died down and Daniel went back to drying David's hair, still grinning. "You are too much, David. You're making it impossible for me to not like you, you know." He said with a wink. David glowed.

"So, can you make my time here worth the wet clothes?" he dared. Daniel thought about it for a moment, and his mouth curved into a smile. "Well, since you asked  _so_ nicely, I think I have an idea worth your while..." He let the towel fall around David's neck and pulled him closer. He paused for a moment, as if asking if it was okay. Then he closed the space between them.

As soon as their lips touched, David's heart felt like it was going to explode. He felt fireworks everywhere. In the moment, it felt like it lasted forever, but when Daniel pulled away, the seemingly never-ending moment was reduced to only a few seconds. David blinked, then blinked again. His legs felt weak. Did that even happen, or was it just another fantasy? One thing was clear; it was without a doubt the best first kiss David ever had.

There was a long silence after the kiss. Daniel looked a bit concerned, his eyes shifting from the floor to David every few seconds. David was still processing what just happened with wide eyes that weren't focused on anything and a flushed face. This reaction was confusing Daniel, because he didn't know if David liked it or not. Neither was sure on how to break the tension, and only one of them was aware of it to begin with.

Finally, it snapped into place.  _We kissed._ David blinked again and shook his head. Daniel allowed his eyes to meet David's for longer than a second. He was biting his lip and his face was pink. David finally realized how awkward it had been for the last five minutes, and gave the blonde a reassuring smile. He tilted his head before returning the smile, standing up a little straighter. 

"You...um, you okay? I'm sorry if that was sort of...demeaning." Daniel said nervously.

David shook his head. "Are you kidding me? I've been wanting to do that since I rolled into your window that fateful day..." he said dramatically.

Daniel gave him a lopsided grin. "Then do you mind if I do it again?" he asked, closing his arms around David's waist.

David wrapped his arms around Daniel's neck and smiled. "I'm practically begging you to."

They kissed again, but this time it was better than anything they could ever have imagined. Both could feel the other's smile; it was hard to hide the pure euphoria the two felt. Soon they broke the kiss just to laugh. All the tension that had previously been there was gone in a flash, almost as if it hadn't even happened. Their laughter died slowly, and the two just stared at each other with lovesick grins.

"I'd prefer if you didn't get your hair wet again after all my hard work, so I suggest you stay here tonight. Besides, I don't think the rain is going to let up anytime soon." Daniel said as he motioned to the window. David caught sight of a flash of lightning, only proving Daniel's point. Rain pounded furiously on the roof and echoed through the house. Crashing thunder was followed by bright lightning moments later. The wind howled and screamed, banging on the walls as if it wanted inside. David stood in wonder at the sight and sound of the world outside, completely entranced. 

Thunderstorms never really scared David as a kid. He had thought that thunderstorms happened when the world was angry at its occupants, and he still did. There was always a certain beauty to them, though, and David couldn't help but watch from the window as the sky raged on. He'd watch the blackened clouds in their wrath until they calmed and disappeared. For some reason, he found it relaxing.

David returned to reality when he heard Daniel say his name. He blinked and smiled shyly at the blond. "Sorry, Danny. I didn't mean to be away that long." He said.

Daniel grinned and kissed his forehead. "I don't mind."


	4. Hearts And Spades

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Featuring timeless songs by The Beatles: Golden Slumbers and Octopus's Garden. Mainly just an extra-long fluff chapter before the shit hits the fan. Or will it? Nah, it will. Or will it? JK, it will.  
> Or will it?

 A soft melody woke David from a peaceful sleep. It sounded like music, but muted—as if it was coming from somewhere else in the house.

He sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and glanced around the room. It hit him suddenly—he wasn't in his own room. Memories came flooding back with a start. The storm, the kiss, the silence, the second kiss, and the pure bliss that followed it all. He smiled at the reminders, absentmindedly running his fingers over his lips. _Heaven._

David stood and stretched. He gasped as he heard a loud crack, but felt exponentially less stiff. He adjusted his shirt, only to realize it wasn't his either. It was Daniel's; an oversized cream colored shirt with sleeves that went down to his elbows. He lifted it a bit to see dark purple silk shorts that shimmered in the sunlight. David smiled faintly, blush blooming across his face. He bathed in those memories for a while before finally following the music.

The stairs creaked as David made his way down them. A familiar melody filled the living room and the rooms adjacent. When he entered the room where the music was the loudest, he took in the sight of Daniel.

Daniel stood in the middle of the room with a violin tucked between his chin and shoulder, swaying as he played along with the music that was coming from a record player in the corner of the room. His back was to David as he entered, but his head turned slightly as David walked closer. He set the violin down on a stand and faced David with a smile.

"Good morning, David. Did you sleep well?" He asked. David nodded, and gave Daniel a smile of his own.

"I didn't know you played," he gestured to the instrument.

Daniel glanced down at it and shrugged. "I love the music they can make. Piano is fun as well, but the Mora's don't own a piano, and I wasn't able to bring my own. You can imagine what a pain that would be." He said with a grin, stepping forward to wrap his arms around David's waist. David laughed at the image of Daniel trying to get a piano through the door. 

The song ended, and a new song began. This one had a more fun beat, and when David heard the lyrics, he laughed. Daniel smiled warmly and took his hands. "Dance with me?" he asked. David felt his face grow hot, but he beamed and nodded. 

Dancing wasn't David's strong suit, but luckily Daniel was a triple threat. Because of the song and it's more upbeat tune, Daniel's movements were purposely ungraceful in an attempt to get another laugh out of his counterpart. It worked, obviously, and David was almost crying with laughter. As the song ended, so did their dance with a spin and a dip, followed by a passionate kiss.

Daniel left the record player on while he got started on breakfast. He liked hearing David hum and sometimes sing along with it. 

The smell of a freshly cooked breakfast was something David hadn't enjoyed in a long time. It was nostalgic; taking him back to a time when his mother use to make pancakes for him every Saturday morning. He soaked in the memories and held on to them for as long as he could. He felt the sting of tears in his eyes, but he pushed them back. Absentmindedly humming along to the music in the other room, he stared at the wall and thought.

"Eat your food before it gets cold, love." Daniel said, breaking David from his trance. He blinked and met his sky blue eyes. The blond's face was twisted into a worried expression, his hand resting gently on the small of David's back. "Are you okay? You look like you're about to cry," he said as he sat down. "Is something wrong?"

David smiled at Daniel's genuine concern and shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Just...I just remembered something. It doesn't matter," he said dismissively.

Daniel frowned, eyes sad. "Okay, I won't push." He said, pressing a kiss to David's cheek. He giggled and cupped Daniel's face to pull him into a deep kiss. They pulled away and connected their foreheads, just soaking in one another's features.

"Now eat, dear," Daniel said, tapping David's nose. "No one likes cold pancakes, and it would be a disaster to not see that gorgeous smile of yours because of it." He winked and returned to the stove to make his own serving. David absolutely melted, trying but failing to get rid of the butterflies in his stomach. He took a bite of the pancakes, and as predicted, they tasted  _amazing_. Daniel softly hummed to the music in the other room, and David bathed in the warm feelings that flowed through him.

* * *

 

To make it official (and because he had wanted to for a while), Daniel asked the redhead out on a date. David accepted, of course, and headed upstairs to change into his clothes that were fresh from the dryer. They smelled like Daniel.

Daniel's attire was simple but charming; a long-sleeved white collared shirt underneath a pale blue sweater with both of the sleeves rolled up to about elbow length. He wore grey jeans paired with black boots and a black belt. All of that, accompanied with that  _damned_  smirk that completed the outfit, had David swooning before they even left the house.

David's choice of clothing wasn't nearly as stylish, more rugged and comfortable, but it was all he had on hand. It was just a soft green T-shirt with white faded trees and a brown long-sleeved shirt under that, paired with blue jeans and his trademarked brown boots. Compared to Daniel, he was a peasant at the feet of a king, but it was his favorite outfit. He was glad he wore it to see him in the first place.

Arm-in-arm, the two left the house after exchanging compliments. It was mostly Daniel paying the compliments, but David managed to sneak a few "you too"'s in between his words, blushing deeply.

The walk to the bookstore wasn't as far as it could have been. It was cold, though, so the pair walked hastily to their destination, chatting and holding hands as they did so.

"Are we...is this...can we even do this?" David asked after a few moments of silence.

 Daniel quirked a brow. "What do you mean, darling?" 

David bit his lip and looked away. "I mean...not only the fact that we are both...male...but, stage crew and actor?" He chuckled dryly. "I guess, I don't know, I'm a bit scared that they might...judge."

The blonde chuckled and shook his head. "David, I am almost  _positive_ that everyone will be happy for us. Don't be too quick to assume. They're all good people, and I'm sure they wouldn't care that we are both males; they would only care if we are happy or not. As for the actor and stage crew dilemma..." he smiled, "that is literally the most ridiculous concern I have ever heard, and I've listened to Gwen rant about Doctor Who for an hour."

David burst out laughing, not caring about all the attention he was drawing. He nodded, beaming into Daniel's shoulder. "Yeah, me too."

Daniel smiled fondly and kissed David's forehead. "If it's all subjective, I think we'll be just fine. Society has changed a lot in the past couple decades, and we as humans are more accepting to things such as homosexual relationships. Some are a bit hesitant, and others are downright dismissive and rude, but they'll come around." He squeezed the redhead's hand. "Someday, it will be accepted as the norm, and we can relax and enjoy the time we have together."

For the millionth time since David had met him, Daniel had charmed and swept David off his feet, using nothing but his words. Just listening to him speak filled David with a sense that, in the end, things  _would_  be alright. He smiled in wonder. What a guy.

They arrived at the bookstore, which was surprisingly empty for a Saturday afternoon. Another thing that was surprising was the fact that Gwen was here, browsing the romance section. David tensed as soon as they locked eyes, but Gwen waved them over.

"H-hey, Gwen! Um, what are you doing here? I thought you, uh, had family breakfast with your, um, grandparents on Saturdays..." David said awkwardly. 

"Yeah, we do. Just had to stop here to pick up your birthday present." She replied nonchalantly. David's eyes went wide and he felt his throat tighten.

"David?" He turned to Daniel. "It's your birthday? Why didn't you tell me?" Something akin to hurt flashed in Daniel's eyes, only making David feel even more guilty.

"Ugh, David has this... _thing_... where he doesn't like telling people when it's his birthday. Took me three years to get it out of him." Gwen butted in with a scoff. "Probably has something to do with the fact that his mom left on his B-day when he was five. He's such a baby about it."

David frowned and lowered his gaze to the floor. His could feel tears sting in his eyes at the painful memories Gwen was ever-so gently bringing back.

Gwen continued to wear that unimpressed expression as she shoved a book into David's shaking hands. "Happy fucking birthday." She walked off.

The redhead kept his eyes to the floor to avoid Daniel's gaze. He had to be disappointed, if not angry. His heart felt heavy as he swallowed the lump in his throat and wiped away some fallen tears. David began to walk towards the exit, setting the book on a random shelf, but Daniel pulled him back, and into a hug.

"Hey, it's okay that you didn't tell me, David. You know that, right?" Daniel whispered into his ear. David shakily returned the hug, quietly sobbing into Daniel's shoulder. A good day turned sour, all because of Gwen and her desire to take everyone down into her stupid well of self-pity. He held on to Daniel's sweater for dear life in an attempt to keep his anger at bay. A thumb that gently rubbed at the nape of his neck helped to calm him down, and soon he stopped crying all together.

The two left the bookstore. Gwen was leaning against the window of the store, smoking a cigarette. Daniel shot her a cold glare as he passed her. She glared right back, then took a drag of her cigarette. She wasn't old enough to smoke publicly, but she _looked_ old enough, and no one really cared to stop her. Daniel knew it was illegal for her to smoke, but he wasn't going to stop her either.

They wandered the streets for a while in silence, with David clinging to Daniel's arm like his life depended of it, but eventually relaxing and settling on just holding hands. Sometimes they talked. Most of the time they walked in a comfortable silence. After an hour of just walking, they ended up back at Gwen's house, to which they both looked up at with disgust.

"I take it you wouldn't want to go back in there for now, hm?" Daniel asked with a hint of a smile. David stuck his tongue out and scrunched up his face. Daniel laughed, and in turn made David laugh, too. 

"Alright then, how about your place?" The blond offered. David nervously tapped his chin in thought. Saturdays his dad was usually out gambling or just not in the house at all. He'd be all alone with Daniel. All day.

Taking lead, David dragged Daniel towards his street, Daniel laughing behind him.

* * *

 

The neighborhood David took Daniel to was...not what he was expecting, to say the least. Gwen's parents lived in the rich part of town, even though they barely spoke English. David seemed to live in the drug dealer part of town. Several street lights had their bulbs shattered, from what, Daniel didn't want to know. The aura there was...harsh. The wind was colder and the air was thicker. When Daniel looked up, the sky looked darker. To contrast, he looked back down at David.

David's red hair was soft and thick, his sea green eyes happy and bright as the sun. His smile could light up an abyss and his laugh could turn a monsoon into the most beautiful day in the history of the world. His tan skin was smooth and covered in freckles like sprinkles on the universe's most adorable cake. 

Compared to the neighborhood he lived in, David was completely out of place.

They stopped in front of a faded yellow house, paint peeling off the walls and littering the ground beneath it. The porch looked unstable, and the porch swing was hanging by a single rusted chain. Dead grass on the lawn was dry and uneven like it hadn't been mowed in years. All of the front windows were boarded up, the reason being that there was no glass in any of the frames.

Daniel eyed the house skeptically. He turned to David, about to ask a question, but shut his mouth. It seemed rude to ask if this really was his house. Not to mention that David's expression had gone somber, sad eyes scanning the house as if he couldn't believe the shape it was in, either. He still wore a smile, but it was melancholy and forced. Daniel wilted at the sight of it. He rubbed the back David's hand in an attempt to comfort him. David smiled up at him and squeezed back. He took a deep breath and walked up to the door.

As Daniel got closer to the front of the house, he noticed how the splintered door was barely hanging on by its hinges. The doorbell dangled by only a few wires. A scratched out surname was placed above it, but Daniel could only make out the first two letters; 'O' and 'R'. He frowned, but said nothing about it.

David pulled back the worn welcome mat and picked up a silver key, jammed it into the door, and swung it open. He grabbed Daniel's hand and quickly lead him to what he could only assume to be his bedroom. Daniel was about to comment on how he wasn't able to see the rest of the house, but he suspected that was David's intention, so he kept his mouth shut.

The redhead sighed deeply and collapsed on the bed in the middle of the room. Daniel glanced around, taking note that it was much nicer than the exterior of the house.

It was a small room, with the walls painted a dark green. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere, it was obvious that David kept tidy as best as he could. The window had glass and was opened just a bit to let cool April air in. The bed had a sheet pinned behind it, but Daniel pretended he didn't see it. A bookshelf was pushed into one corner, it's shelves packed with books and trinkets of all sorts. A ship in a bottle, a jar of marbles, a CD from a band Daniel didn't recognize, and some other cute things.

Next to the door was a small desk. David's backpack hung off of the uncomfortable-looking chair that was pushed up to it, along with his jacket. A pile of homework was stacked neatly in the middle of the desk. The only other thing on the desk was a white lamp that was covered in cute little stickers. Daniel smiled faintly. Above the desk was a single square of thin cork board. Pinned to it with animal pushpins were several blank postcards. There was one in the middle, the only one that had any writing on it. In neat cursive it read:

" _Dear Davey,_

_I know I have been away for some time, but I wanted to say happy birthday, and that I love you. I can't come back for reasons you are still too young to understand, but what you can understand is that I did not leave because of you. I still love you so, so much. I cannot wait until I can finally have my baby boy back in my arms._

_Until then, I wish you the best of luck in life. Remember to always be happy and keep faith in your heart. Bad days never last, no matter how long they seem. I love you._

_Sincerely, Mom."_

Daniel looked at the date. April 10, 2001. David was six years old. Daniel wondered if this was the only postcard he received since his mother left.

"Danny?" David called from the bed. Daniel smiled and strolled over to the bed, sitting down next to the redhead, who was still laying down on his back.

David sighed heavily and looked up with puppy-dog eyes. "Kiss me?" 

The blond chuckled and rolled his eyes, but leaned down and pecked David on the lips. David pouted and tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, it's my birthday," He said.

"I thought you didn't like your birthday." Daniel chuckled again.

"I don't, but if it's an excuse for you to kiss me, than I'll use it against you every year."

Daniel burst out laughing, and a smile spread on David's face. He loved making Daniel laugh.

"Okay, fine. But you have to sit up, love."

David did so, and climbed into Daniel's lap. The blond quirked a brow, but smiled. He caught David's chin and pulled him into a deep kiss. Slowly, all the pain of it being the anniversary of the worst day of David's life melted away, and were quickly replaced by a sudden feeling of comfort. He felt safe and cared for and for the first time in a _while_...loved. He was so happy he could cry, but refrained from doing so, knowing Daniel would break the kiss to question his sudden tears. 

The kiss ended, and the two embraced for a long time. Memories of what happened at the bookstore faded away, and David forgot about Gwen's harsh words completely.

For the first time since his mother left, David had an amazing birthday. And it was all because of Daniel. All because, instead of being angry for David not telling him about his birthday, he told him it was  _okay_  that he didn't tell him. He comforted him and calmed him down in the bookstore. He made breakfast for him and loved him and was there exactly when he needed him. Daniel had been everything he had needed for a long, long time. And there was no better feeling then that realization.

Soon, it started to get dark. Daniel left David with one last kiss, then headed home.

David closed the door after watching Daniel disappear down the dirty street. He sighed dreamily, a dorky grin on his face. There was no denying it now; he was in love. And it felt so good to be loved back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry this is a bit late, I've been a bit stressed lately. luckily writing helps with that :)  
> updates might get slow, but i promise i'm going somewhere with this. Cop AU comes in a bit later ;0 so thank you for being so patient!


	5. Save A Little Grace For Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The secret is out, it's opening night, and Jen has an offer.

Sunday was almost as predictable as Sundays could be.

Almost.

David woke with the sun, something that he had done for a long time. When he looked over at his bedside table, he found a few thing that weren't there before. A card, a red rose, and a fresh cup of hot cocoa. The card read "Happy Birthday" in blue ink. The rose smelled like what David would imagine a good day would smell like, with a faint hint of peppermint. The hot cocoa was still warm and left a sweet taste in his mouth.

There was a light knock at David's window. He tilted his head curiously. Throwing back the covers, he slid out of bed and made his way to the window. When he opened it, the smiling face of Daniel was waiting for him. David grinned and helped him climb inside his room.

"Good morning. I hope I didn't wake you." Daniel said. David shook his head, a bit too overwhelmed to speak. Instead, he threw his arms around the blond and buried his face in his neck. Daniel staggered, but hugged David back with a worried smile. "You okay, love?" David just nodded. He was crying, but _god,_  he didn't care.

Suddenly, Daniel scooped David up in his arms and pressed a kiss to his cheek while David laughed and cried at the same time. Daniel sat on the bed, and David settled in his lap. In that moment, they were so _happy_ that they couldn't do anything but just stare at each other.

David rested his head in the crook of Daniel's neck, and Daniel absentmindedly rubbed David's arm.

"Danny?" David whispered.

"Yes, darling?" Daniel replied in a low voice.

"Did you...leave the, um, the gifts?"

"I did. Why?"

"Nothing. Just making sure."

"Did I give you false hope?"

David shifted in Daniel's arms and frowned a bit. "No, no you didn't. I just...um, I never really get gifts. Especially not on my, uh, on my birthday. My father hates it as much as I do, so he typically avoids any...gift giving in general." He said.

"I apologize if the gifts brought back unwanted memories, love."

"No, it's...it's not that. I'm just...I'm glad you even bothered. I guess I _should_ be mad, but I'm not. I don't get gifts. I guess...I guess it's nice to get something for once. I think I like it. Thank you, Danny."

"You're welcome, David."

A kiss was planted on David's head, and the two spent the rest of the morning in a comfortable silence.

* * *

The days that followed were the happiest days of Daniel and David's life.

The two didn't see each other much during the school day, mostly because Daniel was two years older than David, but they always saw each other after school. If they passed each other in the hallway, Daniel would wink and David would giggle and wave.

After school, Daniel would regularly visit David in the costume room to check up on how things were going. During rehearsals, David would always keep his eyes on Daniel, who did the same. When no one was looking, Daniel would kiss David on the cheek, leaving David a flustered mess, and it made Daniel laugh.

When school and practice ended, they would walk home together. Daniel would always make sure David got home safe, then leave with a compliment and a kiss. David would watch him walk away until he disappeared down the street.

They talked for hours. Weekends were spent at one another's house, ignoring all of Gwen's dirty looks and rude comments and the absence of David's father. They never got bored of talking to each other, and in time fell more and more in love.

Surprisingly, it was Daniel said it first.

The two were spending a Sunday afternoon at a small cafe called ‘The Golden Hippo’. Daniel was eating some fries, and David was enjoying a sundae. The cafe offered a discount on fudge sundaes on Sundays, so David decided to take advantage of that.

David was too busy explaining why crunchy peanut butter was better than smooth peanut butter to notice Daniel’s lovesick gaze. Daniel was only half-listening to what the redhead was going on about, too focused on studying each and every feature. Suddenly, while David had paused to eat a bite of ice cream, it came out.

“I love you.”

The spoon stopped halfway to David's mouth, and his sea green eyes were wide. Daniel mentally punched himself, worried that it was too soon to say that. He shamefully looked towards the exit.

But then David said it back.

“I love you.”

They both smiled at each other. It was like a weight had been lifted, a secret that was dying to be shared. There was no better feeling.

Unsurprisingly, it was David who let it slip.

David had been invited by Daniel to join what everyone called their 'After Practice Discussion Group', eventually shortened to ‘AP Club’, which Daniel had organized himself. At first it was just the actors and a few techies chatting about anything that came to their minds, but it soon grew into a sort of after school club. David always had a seat next to Daniel, and was welcome to join in at anytime.

He refrained from doing so, however, because what everyone found out pretty quickly was that when David was passionate about a certain topic, he could go on about it for  _hours._  They learned that the hard way. Since then, David had learned to say as little as possible, even if he wanted to say more.

After school, the two walked to Room B for the club. When they entered, everyone had already begun discussing their topic for that day. A topic that Daniel had tried to avoid for the past few weeks.

Relationships.

David and Daniel shared a worried glance, but came to agree that this topic was inevitable. They took their seats, and Candy caught them up on what they missed. Soon, it was David's turn to talk about relationships, and the infamous question popped up. 

"So, David, do you have a girlfriend?" Darla asked. 

"Ugh, Darla, he is so  _obviously_ gay." Someone chimed in.

David almost laughed, but his throat was too tight, so it just came out as a squeak. Daniel sensed his discomfort and opened his mouth to try to divert attention, but Darla spoke up again.

"Ah, shit. You're right. So, David, do you have a  _boyfriend?_ " She rested her head in her palm and gave David a sly smile.

David was about to have a panic attack. His face was basically on fire and he could feel himself sweating. His voice couldn't work, so he just nodded. Then he started to panic even _more_ because he didn't mean to nod.

The room was filled with girly squeals and "no shit"s. David covered his face with his hands.

"Oh my god, oh my  _god!_ No fucking way, who? Does he go here?" Darla asked. David nodded. More screams echoed in the room, followed by even louder "NO SHIT"s. David's blush deepened and sunk into his seat.

"Okay, I think he's had enough teasing. Let's lay off a bit, hm?" Daniel finally chimed in, putting a hand on David's shoulder. Darla scoffed. "Oh come on! We're just curious! I promise we won't judge. Do you know who it is?" She batted her eyelashes innocently. Daniel chuckled nervously and averted his gaze. "Uh, I don't."

"He does." Jen said. Screams echoed in the room once more.

"Who?" Candy demanded. Daniel shot a glare at Jen, who hadn't even looked up from her phone to flip him off, and sighed. He scooted his chair closer to David and leaned into his ear. "Will you be okay if I tell them?" David, whose hands were still covering his face, let his head fall onto Daniel's shoulder and nodded. The blond wrapped an arm around David and smiled. He looked up at everyone in his club, all of which were waiting with anticipation. 

"Um, well―" Daniel started, but suddenly David stood up.

"I'M DATING DANIEL." He shouted. He then proceeded to cover his face again, sit down in Daniel's lap, and bury his face in his shoulder.

Room B was silent. Jen was still looking at her phone, Darla was staring with her mouth agape, and both Daniel and David were blushing furiously. And then, the room exploded with all sorts of different reactions. Some said, "I knew it", some were still speechless, some cheered, some laughed, some blurted questions, but the most prominent reaction was people shouting "I'm so happy for you two!"

David was embarrassed long after the meeting had ended. 

The two were alone in Room B, with Daniel sitting casually on a table, and David pacing around the room. For the past twenty minutes, David had been rambling about everything that went wrong and how they should have kept it a secret for a little longer. It somehow transitioned into why he thought dogs should vote. Even though he made some good points, the very idea made Daniel laugh. David paced in silence for a little to try to remember his original point, then began reiterating why things went wrong today.

"David." Daniel called while David paused to take a breath. David stopped his pacing and locked eyes with Daniel. There was a soft smile on his face that made David swoon, paired with calm eyes that relaxed him down to his very core. He walked over and sat on the desk next to him.

"I'm sorry. I know it went well and everyone said they were happy for us, but I..." David sighed and rested his head on Daniel's shoulder. "I'm...I think I'm still a bit scared. Maybe I wasn't ready? I don't know, I wanted to tell them so it didn't have to be a secret anymore, but there was something _fun_ about it being a secret, you know?" He sighed again. "I'm sorry for being so dramatic. I love you."

Daniel smiled and kissed David's head. "You have nothing to be sorry about, darling. I like it when you're dramatic. It's adorable." He wrapped an arm around David's waist and pulled him closer. "I know you were anxious tonight. I'm sure they didn't mean to make you so uncomfortable. Although..." he started with a grin. "I have a feeling they might have already suspected it."

David sat up and pouted. "You're the one who always visits me in the costume room." He said. Daniel chuckled and put a finger under the David's chin. "Well, if you weren't so gorgeous, we wouldn't have that problem." 

David's frown melted into a grin, and he felt a blush bloom across his face. "It's not fair how good you are at that," he murmured.

Daniel laughed. "Lucky me," he hopped off the desk and held out a hand. "Come on, love, it's time to leave." David smiled and crossed his arms. 

"I don't want to." David declared.

Daniel smirked. "Alright, then," he said. In one swift motion, he scooped David off the desk, one arm under his legs and the other wrapped around his shoulders, and spun him around. David screamed with laughter and locked his arms around Daniel's neck to make sure he wouldn't fall.

Daniel stopped spinning, pecked David on the cheek, then set him back down on the ground. David grabbed his collar and pulled him in for a kiss, still laughing. They broke the kiss and connected foreheads. 

"Hey." Daniel whispered.

"Yeah?" David whispered back.

"I love you."

David beamed. "I love you, too, Danny."

* * *

Opening night. Panic ensued, causing everyone to bump into each other and yell about one thing or another.

David was waiting in the wing, tapping his foot anxiously and absentmindedly chewing on his lip. His spot was next to the costumes, his job was to help the actors into them. So far he had been doing well, but all the panic of the first real performance was getting to him, too. Tonight could be the night he messed up and accidentally gave someone the wrong costume or zipped it up incorrectly.

He didn't notice his lip was bleeding until Darla pointed it out.

"Huh? Oh! Thank you," he accepted the napkin and pressed it gently to his lips, flinching at the feeling of the texture against his raw skin. Darla nodded and scurried off to help someone find a prop.

In his earpiece, a voice said, “ten minutes til’ curtain!” He whimpered. He suddenly felt familiar arms wrap around his waist and a chin on his shoulder, immediately relaxing him. A kiss was planted on his cheek.

"Don't worry, love. I'm positive you'll do wonderfully." Daniel assured calmly. He didn’t seem nervous at all, but inside he was on the brink of a panic attack. David spun around in his arms and kissed him, slowly dissolving his fears. They broke away and embraced.

“You’ll be amazing, Danny.” David whispered. Daniel smiled and hugged him tighter. What did he do to deserve this boy?

 

The audience cheered as the actors bowed a final time. The stage lights dimmed, the house lights came on, and the actors walked into the wings to begin getting ready to go home. The performance had went smoothly, with only one actor missing their cue.

Daniel waited patiently for everyone to leave the auditorium before meeting David in the costume room.

"Danny! You did so great, that was amazing!" David exclaimed as he leaped into the blond's arms. Daniel grinned and spun him around before setting him back on the ground, David screaming with laughter.

"I couldn't have done it without you, love. _You_ were the real star tonight." Daniel said with a smile. David absolutely glowed. They kissed, deep and affectionate, smiling against one another's lips. Daniel broke the kiss and rested his forehead against David’s, cupping his face and caressing it with his thumbs.

“I love you.” He whispered.

David beamed. “I love you, too.” He said. They kissed again, and both felt a sense of true happiness fill their hearts.

The night ended with Daniel walking David home, planting one final kiss on his lips. David pulled him back into a longer and deeper kiss. They waved goodbye and David headed inside, still dizzy from tonight's events. He was completely and utterly swept away by this boy, there was no denying it now.

 

The walk home was uneventful as always, but it always gave Daniel time to think. This time, however, he was interrupted.

"Hey, lover boy." A voice called. Daniel turned to meet the icy blue eyes of Jen, who was leaning against a tree. She pushed herself off of it and jogged over to Daniel with a small smirk.

"Nice job tonight." She said.

Daniel shrugged. "I do the same thing during practice, tonight was no different than that. Simply a bigger audience." He replied, shoving his cold hands in his pockets.

"Uh huh. Hey, can I ask you something?" 

"...I suppose."

"How good are you at fighting?"

Daniel frowned. "I...took a few self-defense classes. Why?" 

"No reason." Jen grinned. _K_ _new it._ "Well, not really, actually. I have a proposition for you." 

Daniel gave her a quizzical look. "I'm listening."

Jen's grin widened. "Good. So, I work for a group of people. We are in need of a smooth-talker, a people person. Someone who is good with words. I thought  _you'd_ be perfect for the job. What do you say?" She explained.

Daniel frowned, and shifted his gaze to the sidewalk as he thought. 

"What does this have to do with fighting, exactly?" He asked.

"Well, the job isn't exactly... _safe_. We go on missions, retrieving money, bereaving items, the like."

"So, you're criminals?"

"We prefer a different term, but essentially, yes."

Daniel chuckled, unimpressed. "I think I'll have to decline. I'm not interested in partaking in any criminal activity. I appreciate the offer, though." Jen frowned and stopped walking. "Is it because of David?"

Daniel halted. He turned slowly to face Jen. "Why would this have anything to do with him?"

Jen smiled. "You've got a weak spot for him, don't you?" Daniel stepped forward, leaning over her.

"I don't like what you're insinuating. You aren't going to try to use him against me, are you?" His expression was calm, but his eyes were dark.

Jen's smile faltered only slightly. She held eye contact and scoffed. "Whatever. I'll see you tomorrow, Daniel." Jen walked away.

Daniel let his expression relax, and he continued to walk back home.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this is late, I kind of hit a wall ;-;  
> Anyways, thank you for being patient! I also want to clarify that I love Gwen, even tho it might seem like i hate her based on her role in this story.  
> Thanks for reading, next chapter will be up sometime next week!


	6. Hold On To Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something goes wrong on the way home, and the boys receive some bad news.

Neither could have predicted what happened a week and a half later.

Of course, David was constantly worried about something like this happening, but he felt best to not make such a fuss about it. Daniel had been keeping close watch too, even though he was sure it wouldn't happen.

It had been exactly ten days since opening night, and twelve days since they had made their relationship public. It had been less chaotic than both predicted, mostly just a bombardment of questions. 'When did you first meet', 'where was your first kiss', 'have you  _done it_ yet', and the like were popular questions, and the last one always had David a flustered, stuttering mess. Daniel always answered with a resounding 'no', then immediately change the subject. Luckily, people stopped asking questions after a week, and the excitement of a new relationship died down.

Other than the annoying amount of questions, their relationship was doing well. They enjoyed one another's company and were always looking for new places to hang out. Their usual spot of 'The Golden Hippo' cafe was fun, but they grew bored fast. Eventually, they found a park nearby that was almost always empty. David loved running around in the soft grass barefoot. He would always say that spring was his favorite season.

It happened in late May. Daniel was walking David home after an amazing date in the park. Per the norm, Daniel gave David a compliment and a goodbye kiss, then headed home. David watched him walk away, then went inside to make some hot cocoa.

Daniel didn't show up at school the next day.

This was troubling, because Daniel had  _never_ missed a day of school. David was anxious the entire day, picking at his lip until it bled. As soon as school was over, he rushed over to Daniel's house. He knocked twice, then fidgeted with his jacket zipper while he waited for someone to answer. His forehead hurt from scrunching his eyebrows all day, but he ignored it for the time being.

Gwen opened the door with a scowl. She looked at David's nervous form up and down, rolled her eyes, and opened the door for him. "He's upstairs resting. Might as well put him out of his misery while you're at it," she muttered. David thanked her and dashed upstairs, nodding to Mrs. Mora on his way up.

David stood at the door for a while before he even thought about knocking.  _What did Gwen mean?_ The first thought that popped into his head was that Daniel was hurt, but he shook it away. Daniel was too tough. No one could try to beat him up and not get their ass kicked before they could even lay a finger on him. He was strong. And so was David.

He knocked once, soft but tense. After a few moments of silence, David opened the door. What he saw shook him to his very core, and a gasp fell out of his mouth as he gazed upon what laid before him.

Daniel was laying in bed with his eyes closed. He was covered in bandages, one on his cheek, one on his arm, one on both of his knuckles, and one wrapped around his shoulder. Half of him was covered by a blanket, but David didn't have to see to know that there was more. His hair, which was usually styled upwards, was droopy and covering one eye. His lip was busted, and there was evidence of dried blood under his nose. There were bruises traveling up and down his arms, and probably more on his torso. Besides that he looked...weak. He looked drained, and David felt a sinking feeling in his chest the more he stared.

He hadn't even noticed how loudly he was crying until Daniel opened his eyes. It hurt even more to see that their normal warm shine had faded, but as soon as they locked eyes, it returned. He smiled gently and patted the side of his bed. David trudged over, still sobbing. He wiped his eyes on his jacket sleeve and apologized excessively.

"Danny, what...what h-happened? Are you o...okay?" David could barely speak through his sobs, constantly choking on his words, but he had to know what happened. He covered his mouth to try to hold back more sobs, and Daniel frowned. He sat up and wrapped a bandaged arm around him. David took a few deep breaths and let his head fall on Daniel's shoulder.

"Darling, I'm fine. I just got roughed up a bit," Daniel said with a dry chuckle. "A...'gang', I suppose, who had apparently been watching me walk home after our dates, decided to surround me and beat me up. I tried fighting back but," he blushed and look away, "there were...too many guys." 

David frowned this time, still wiping away tears and snot. "Wh-when did this...when did this happen? Could I have—" 

"Please, don't say it, David. There is nothing you could have done and that's  _okay_. It was going to happen eventually, given that your neighborhood isn't very...secure. I didn't mean to worry you; I should have called." He pressed a kiss to David's head. "It was yesterday. After our date. I'm fine now, though. Will _you_ be okay?"

There was a moment of silence before David nodded. Daniel wasn't convinced, and was about to say something before Gwen swung open the door, making both of the boys jump.

"Hey assholes, we're heading out. My niece is having her quinceañera and I can't miss it. Don't fuck each other while we're gone," she spat.

"Gwendolyn! Vámonos!" A voice called from downstairs. Gwen yelled something back in Spanish, shot the two one last dirty look, then stormed away, slamming the door behind her. 

Daniel shook his head with an amused smile, then turned to David. "Now that they're gone, let's go downstairs."

David's mouth set in a hard line and he glanced away. "Are you... are you sure you can get down there okay? Won't it be...um, difficult?" Daniel grinned, then burst out laughing. He threw the covers off, stood up, then leaned over and cupped David's face and kissed him. 

"Oh, love, I'm injured, not disabled. I'm sure I can make it down a simple set of stairs." He murmured with a smirk. David blushed. "Uh, that's...that's not what I...meant..." Daniel laughed again and kissed his forehead. "I'm only joking, darling. Let's go. I'll make you hot cocoa."

And with that, the two head downstairs hand-in-hand.

* * *

The television was mostly background noise for them. The sofa bed wasn’t incredibly comfortable, but they didn’t care. As long as they were close, it didn't matter.

David sighed and rested his head against Daniel’s shoulder. He took a sip from his mug of hot cocoa, and a faint smile appeared on his face. As usual, it was amazing. Daniel had gotten himself some red liquid in a wine glass, but he wouldn't say what it was. David was tempted to ask, or to even guess at what he thought it was, but he didn't have the energy. Today had been rough, and what he really needed was time to think.

The two sipped their drinks in silence, letting the television fill the space that they couldn’t. David felt a pull in his chest; he needed to cry, but wouldn’t let himself do it in front of Daniel. He shouldn’t be the one crying, he didn’t even get hurt. It felt selfish to cry. But, for some reason, he still needed to. Maybe because he blamed himself for not being more careful. David was use to being beat up; he could have walked Daniel home and taken the blows himself. Even with that thought, something about it seemed wrong, selfish. Perhaps it was just the guilt, and the fact that if Daniel had fallen in love with someone who lived in a better neighborhood, this wouldn't have happened.

Daniel seemed relatively calm on the outside, but he was just as anxious as David was. He was scared, and in the moments of the attack, terrified. He wasn't scared often, his father taught him that fear is subjective, and only a state of mind. He made him promise to never let himself be afraid, even when things got scary, and Daniel agreed. He was young at the time, but he always kept his father's advice in mind. As he got older, he realized that his father was only  _half_ right. He told him that fear is an emotion you can always control, but Daniel had learned very recently that it can't.

In those moments when he was getting attacked, two things came to mind. One; his father's advice. Two; David. Even though he knew David was safe at home, he couldn't help but wonder if David had this kind of experience. David would never tell him, but he had. Worse. But he would never say. Daniel didn't have to ask, however. He could tell. And he could tell that his mother's disappearance affected him more than he would ever admit. Anytime the two fell asleep together, David was either completely on top of Daniel or clinging to him like his life depended on him. He stayed close, and always seemed afraid that Daniel would just leave. He promised that he never would, but that was another promise he wasn't sure he could keep.

Daniel set the wine glass down with a small _clink_. There was still a bit left, but he couldn’t bring himself to drink any more. David’s cocoa had gone cold, but he still sipped it as if it was still warm enough to taste good. Daniel nudged his shoulder. “You hungry?” He asked. David shook his head. Daniel started to crawl out of bed when David grabbed his shirt. His wide emerald eyes were glossy, tears threatening to fall. “Please don’t leave.” He said softly. Daniel stood defeated, and crawled back under the covers, wrapping his arms around David.

“It’s okay for me to be...scared... right, Danny?” David’s voice cracked as he spoke. Daniel chuckled softly. “It’s always okay to be scared, darling. Life gets frightening, all the time. But sometimes -” he kissed his forehead, “- there are things that pull you back. People, places, things…nouns, essentially,” David laughed. “I don’t know if I’m your safe place, but I know for certain that you are mine. And a safe place is all we need in times like this.” Daniel said.

David sat in awe. It was almost magical how the words Daniel spoke turned into stories. Like poetry. A feeling that David couldn’t explain, but gave him hope and filled him with faith in the future. No wonder Daniel was amazing on stage.

A finger poked his cheek. “You okay? You’ve been sitting there silently for like, five minutes,” Daniel said with a faint smile. David blinked. “Uh, yeah, yeah, I’m...I’m fine. You’re just...so good with words, it’s mesmerizing. I swear, every time you talk, you can take anyone to a different world.

“I bet in an alternate reality, you’re the most famous storyteller in the universe. _Aliens_ would know who you are, and would travel all the way across the galaxy just to hear your stories. People would gather around you as you spin these _beautiful_ tales of heroes and dragons and...” David paused suddenly. Daniel was giving him an amused smirk, but his eyes were full of pure joy. “Sorry.” He murmured, looking away. Daniel laughed. “It's okay, love. I’m use to it.”

David was silent for a moment while he processed his words, and then he looked up. “What?” He asked. Daniel smiled. “You talk a lot. Most of our conversations are just you having an argument with yourself. It’s honestly adorable.” He said.

David groaned and covered his face with his hands. Daniel laughed again. “Don’t be shy about it! I love it. If I had to listen to only one thing for the rest of my life, it would just be your one-sided conversations. It makes me so happy hearing about the things you’re passionate about,” He kissed David’s forehead. “Plus, you have the voice of an angel. Next time there’s a school play, I’m making you try out whether you like it or not.” He said playfully.

They turned back to the television and started to debate on which channel to watch. David wanted to talk more with Daniel and just have the news as background noise, but Daniel wanted to watch a documentary on bees. They compromised (rock, paper, scissors), and settled on the news.

“In the past few weeks, there have been a string of robbery-homicides in the Riverhill area. We advise all residents to ensure their houses are locked and their alarms are on at all times.” The news reporter said.

The boys fell silent.

David felt a pit in his stomach. “D-Danny...isn’t that… _this_ area?” He looked up at Daniel. His face was that of confusion and fear. He looked scared.

In the past months, David had never seen Daniel look scared. He had seen him sad, happy, confused, anxious, even angry. He saw him look weak just an hour ago. But this was different. His wide blue eyes searched the TV. His eyebrows were furrowed. He was holding his breath. His shoulders were tense and stiff.

Daniel had felt this before. He felt it yesterday, his throat tightening and the sinking feeling in his chest. He didn’t know what to think, what to say. His father told him that fear wasn’t real, but what else could he possibly call _this_? 

David squeezed his hand. “Danny?” Suddenly, Daniel snapped back to reality. He looked down at David. “I’m fine. They...they probably won’t...they might not come here.” But he stood up and walked briskly to the door. He checked the lock, but stood there for a moment, looking out the window. Daniel only tore his eyes away when David called him again.

They switched the channel to a comedy movie, but David could tell that Daniel was still anxious. He held David tightly, not tight enough to hurt, but tight enough to be noticeable. Eventually, David heard him laugh, and by the end of the movie, he was smiling again. Still, he knew that Daniel was worried, because his smile seemed to be forced, and his posture was still stiff.

“Come here, love,” Daniel motioned David to the side of the bed and pulled out his phone. “I just realized I don’t have nearly enough photos of you. Mind?” He pointed to his phone. David laughed. “Only if you take some with me. I’m not very photogenic and you might cancel that out.” Daniel burst out laughing, covering half his face with a hand and shaking his head. 

In total, Daniel took forty-six photos. His favorite, the one he decided to print and frame, was a photo of Daniel kissing David’s cheek, with David laughing at a dumb joke Daniel had told before he took the picture. Daniel made a copy for David, too. When David got home, he put it right next to his bed so he could see something that made him happy every time he woke up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey again! Thanks for reading! Just a heads up: my schedule for updates will probably stick to the weekends. I have work everyday and I can't work on this there, but I will try to update every weekend! As always, I'd love to hear what you think and any mistakes I made. Also, if you want to guess where the story is going, don't be afraid to share your predictions ;0.  
> next time, shit goes d o w n.


	7. Living For The Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> uh oh

Two days later, Daniel disappeared.

There wasn’t any blood or a sign of a struggle, only stolen goods, so the police ruled it out as just a runaway kid. David tried to convince them that he wouldn’t just up and run off, but the police had no evidence saying otherwise. He begged them to check again, but they didn’t listen. Daniel had run away, even though he had every reason not to.

David spent his days in bed, desperately clutching the photo to his chest, sobbing uncontrollably. How could he just _leave_ like that? No goodbye, no note, nothing. David had nothing.

One night, when David was home alone, there was a knock at the door. He opened it, expecting his dad who forgot where the key was again. Instead, there was a single red rose. Attached was a note with two words:

“ _Back soon_.”

David ran out into the streets, frantically searching for any sign of Daniel. He came up empty, and after running around the block for an hour, returned inside. Rose and note in hand, he shuffled back into his room. On his nightstand was a fresh mug of hot cocoa.

 

Years passed. Daniel never came back. David kept a close eye on the news and the papers, even though he knew everyone else had moved on. Nevertheless, he paid attention.

David turned eighteen. Just like every birthday since Daniel’s disappearance, a card that read "Happy Birthday" and a red rose showed up at his door. After he came back from his annual search of the block, he would enjoy the warm cup of cocoa that was waiting for him on his nightstand.

The apartment wasn’t exactly ideal, but it was livable. David’s roommate, a man who called himself ‘Dirty Kevin’, sold drugs in the alley behind the apartment building to pay rent. David tried to convince him to get a real job, but Kevin wasn't interested.

“I’m my own boss, twenty-four seven. And whatever people don’t buy, I get.” Kevin would tell him. Soon, David just gave up trying. He paid rent, and as long as he did that, it was fine.

Eventually, David made it into the police academy. He fulfilled his dream of becoming a cop, and he couldn’t have been happier.

Well, that wasn’t entirely true.

The first person David became friends with was a man named Jasper. He had blue eyes and dirty blond hair. They regularly worked cases together and even stayed after work to finish up paperwork and talk. He was the only one that showed kindness to him.

On David’s first day, he asked about Daniel’s case. No one knew who he was talking about. He started telling them everything he knew, including the fact that he was in love with him, and the entire precinct teased him about it. They called him ‘Gayvid’ and made fun of him constantly. He forced a smile, and pretended that it didn't bother him. Jasper offered to file a complaint, but David refused. They were just teasing, after all, and what's the harm in a little fun?

Today was no better. In fact, today was worse. Today was June 3rd, the anniversary of Daniel's disappearance. David had spent the morning laying in bed, wondering if it was  _really_ worth it to get up. Worth the teasing and the name-calling. He thought, "no, no not really", but got up anyways. He didn't know why.

David was torn from his daydream by a tap on the shoulder. "Davey, hostage situation at the bank. Gear up." Jasper said. David nodded and stood as Jasper walked off to get ready.

"Hey, Gayvid! That time of the year again, huh?" Jason, the bleached-blond, ice blue eyed sarge said as he slapped David hard on the back. David forced a chuckle and a weak smile. Jason's cruel smirk had him fuming, but he took a deep breath and changed the subject. "So, about the hostage situation," he prompted.

Jason's smirk grew into a toothy grin. "Ah, the hostages. Security cameras identified only one perp , Cameron Campbell. He had four other people with him. We might get him, rookie. Good day. I don't care about the names of the hostages, we just have to get them out more or less alive."

David hesitated to tell him how horrifying that sounded, but elected to just nod. "How many hostages?" he asked.

"Uh, I don't know, like, eight? Doesn't really matter, I'm there for Campbell and  _only_ Campbell. I've been tracking his ass for three months," Jason growled. He turned to glare at David, looming over him. "If you even _try_ to get in my way, know that I won't hesitate to kill you." He murmured.

David gulped and nodded. 

"Sarge. Time to go." Jasper called. Jason shot David one last glare and walked away.

* * *

David had zoned out the entire trip there. The bank wasn't that far, anyway. Unfortunately, he wasn't paying attention at all during the briefing, and he was too anxious to ask for them to repeat it.

Jason dialed the bank number, and someone picked up immediately. He set it to speaker phone.

"Hello officer. How can I help you?" A man's voice asked.

Jason frowned. "Who is this?" 

"It doesn't matter. You want the hostages, don't you?"

"I want Campbell."

"Oh, you just missed him! Can I leave a message?"

"Listen here, you little—"

"No,  _you_   listen, officer. We have seven hostages in this building. You can come and collect them, _if_ you send the red-haired officer."

Jason's eyes went wide, and he turned to David with a grim look. "Detective Orchard? Yeah, okay, and if I don't send him in?" he scoffed. The voice hummed in amusement, and everyone jumped as he heard a gunshot from the other line, followed by crying and screaming.

"Since you're being difficult, now you only have  _six_  hostages. We could make it five if you want. Or, you could send in Detective Orchard unarmed to collect them like I asked. It's a simple dilemma, officer. Understood?" the voice commanded. Jason murmured a "yes", and the line went dead.

Everyone turned to David, who was just as confused as they were. He gave Jasper his gun and slowly walked towards the building, his heart pounding out of his chest. He looked back to his coworkers, all who were wearing sympathetic looks. Jasper gave him a thumbs-up and a weak smile. David smiled back and opened the door.

David could see the hostages through the glass. A woman with a hole in her head was slumped against the counter. There were six people, two women, three men, and a child, who were sitting on the floor with their hands behind their backs. The child was leaning against her father's arm. David grimaced at the sight, but pressed on. He pushed open the second pair of doors. 

There was a man standing with his back to David as he walked in. His head turned slightly, but the rest of his body was still. David cleared his throat and stood up straighter.

"I take it you're here for them?" The man said, still not facing David. He pointed towards the people sitting on the floor. "I am. Are you the one who requested me?" David asked.

"I am," The man replied. David took a step forward. "Who are you?" He asked. The man was silent for a moment. He lazily put his hands up, and began to turn around.

As soon as David got a good look at his face, he froze. His heart stopped, his eyes widened, his entire body tensed. A chill ran up his spine, and a soft gasp slipped out of his mouth. 

The man had blond hair in a style similar to David's. It looked soft and well-kept. David's fingers twitched when he remembered how it felt to run them through it. His skin was pale and smooth, not a single blemish or freckle anywhere on his arms or face. His clothes were pure white, a collared shirt paired with white pants and boots.

It was his eyes, though, that David recognized. Those blue, blue eyes and the familiar sparkle in them that set off the alarms in his head. That gorgeous sky blue that forced him to remember all the time he spent getting lost in them, all the time he spent just  _looking_ at them.

"Hello, David. It's nice to see you again." Daniel said with a smile. His hands had long since sunk into his pockets, his posture strangely stiff. David tried to blink away the tears that threatened to fall. He swallowed the lump in his throat, trying to think of something to say,  _anything_. Nothing came to mind. Even after all of the nights he sat awake in bed, thinking about what he would say in this exact moment slipped away, and he was left with no lines in the spotlight.

When David snapped back to reality, Daniel was right in front of him with a gentle smile. He opened his mouth to say something, but what cut off by David throwing his arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Daniel staggered, then returned the hug and buried his nose in David's hair. 

"I missed you." David choked through tears.

Daniel smiled and hugged him tighter. "I missed you, too. I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be away that long," he whispered.

David laughed, something he hadn't genuinely done in a long time, and shook his head. "I don't mind."

After a few more minutes, they broke the embrace. "I'm...I'm glad you're safe. Come on, help me get these people out of here and we can catch up," David grinned, pulling Daniel towards the hostages.

Daniel's smile dropped, and he glanced away. "Oh, um. I...I can't," he said, letting his hand slip out of David's. 

David stopped and turned to face him. The confused look on his face felt like a stab in Daniel's heart, and he thought about making an excuse for a moment. David looked at the hostages, their eyes wide with fear, all trained on...Daniel. He slowly turned back to Daniel, realization dawning on him and a pit forming in his stomach.

"You're lying to me," David finally spoke, his voice almost a whisper. "No, you didn't do this. You  _couldn't_  do this. Not...not by yourself. Please tell me someone made you do this," he begged, eyes welling up with tears again.

Daniel didn't meet his eyes, flushed with embarrassment. "I'm sorry—"

"Daniel, it's been  _seven_ _goddamn_  years! Is this what you've been doing this whole time? Killing innocent people? And for what? Personal gain? Career advancement?  _Fun?_ Is this  _fun_ for you, Daniel? Do you work for Campbell, or does  _he_  work for  _you_ _?_ _"_   David hugged himself, their previous embrace somehow feeling dirty. "I don't...understand. Why...how could you do this?" 

Daniel was silent, glaring at the floor and biting his lip. His heart ached, and he _refused_ to cry. He looked up at David. Tears streamed from his beautiful sea green eyes, as devoid of hope as they were, but he didn't bother to wipe them away as he waited for an answer, an explanation. But none came. 

Instead, Daniel held his head high and strolled right past David and to the teller's counter. He picked up a walkie-talkie and said, "I'm done here. Get ready to leave," then leveled a dark look towards David.

"Alright, Detective Orchard. I told you that you could take the hostages, so take them and get out," he said coldly. He set the walkie-talkie down and traded it for a gun. He pointed it at David with a blank expression. "I don't know what I fucking expected. You haven't changed a bit."

David stiffened and held his hands up. "And you've changed too much," he retorted with a frown.

Daniel smirked, the same cruel smile that Jason often wore. "Didn't think you'd notice. You cops are all the same, really. You want recognition, not justice. Fame, not safety. What do you think, Detective Orchard? Is your grandfather proud of you now?" Daniel tilted his head in mock curiosity, smirk unfaltering. "Are _you_ proud of yourself? Or do you disgust yourself as much as you do your coworkers?" He chuckled as David's anger melted into misery, the knife in his heart twisting deeper. "I wouldn't be surprised if you spent every waking moment bathing in your own self-hatred. You've gone soft, Detective Orchard. It's pitiful."

A cruel smile formed on Daniel's lips, and he took a step backwards towards the hostages. "But, you see..." He aimed the gun at the child and pulled the trigger. He held eye contact with David and waited for the pained screams of the child's father to die down. "I haven't." 

Daniel snatched up his walkie-talkie and gave David one last smirk. "People change, Detective. For better, or for worse." 

And then, he was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jason does not belong to me! i just needed another asshole character before i had to start making up my own ;-;  
> Cop au, finally! we have come so far. tell me what you think! also, props to anyone who can figure out the not-so subtle reference to my favorite podcast!


	8. Longer Nights With Lesser Feelings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David has a visitor, paired with feelings he can't explain.

David must have looked incredibly disturbed when he walked out of the bank with the hostages, because Jasper was immediately by his side asking what happened. He was so caught up in trying to process what just went down that he just stuttered uncontrollably. Jasper pulled him into a hug once he started crying. It didn’t feel right.

“Jasper...it was him, it was Daniel. H-he killed a child, Jasper. I-I don’t… I,” David burst into tears before he could say anything else.

David went home early. Jasper kept calling him ‘traumatized’, and he was getting dizzy from all the questions everyone was asking him. He answered what he had to, packed up, and went home.

On his way upstairs to his apartment, his mind couldn’t stop thinking. He tried to come up with excuses and reasons and explanations for what the fuck just happened, because _that wasn’t Daniel_. That wasn’t the charming, dorky triple-threat he knew and loved seven years ago. That wasn’t him. It couldn’t be. Not to mention that the image of that poor child with a bullet between her eyes made him shudder. And the screams of her father and his anguished sobs were the only sounds he could hear. Then, Daniel's dark, dark smile. The smile that stood over the girl and her father, menacing and taunting, with no humanity whatsoever in his eyes. The Daniel he knew was grossed out by snails and refused to kill spiders because they might have families. 

David fumbled with the key and swung open the door with a sigh. Today had been awful. Right now, all he needed was some hot cocoa—wait, maybe not that. Tea would be good for now while he thought things through. He was just about to go make some when a disgustingly familiar voice called out from the living room.

“So, your last name is ‘Orchard’?” David switched on the lights, and there he was. Daniel was sitting in the large window above the couch. He was gazing a white rose in his hand with a thoughtful expression, twirling the flower in his fingers every so often. His icy blue eyes glanced over at David, and his musing frown turned into a cold smirk. David felt his face heat up, but he didn't know why.

“Interesting. It’s gorgeous. Suits you well.” Daniel murmured, standing up. The old couch creaked under his weight as he stepped down from the window and onto the floor. David was frozen as he strolled up to him with half-lidded eyes that sent a shiver down his spine. "Mine is not nearly as beautiful. More feminine than I would prefer." he said.

The last thing David wanted to do was make conversation, but his curiosity got the best of him. "And that would be?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

Daniel gave him a mocking pitiful look. "Oh, David, pretending to care really isn't your thing. You should stick to being a uselessly naive little kid for the rest of your life instead." Anger rose in David's throat and he stared at Daniel with the most disgusted face he could possible muster. In response, Daniel just shrugged. "It's only a suggestion. Cool your jets, Orchard."

Daniel reached behind David and shut the door, something playful flashing in his eyes as their bodies brushed against each other.

“You aren’t welcome here.” David stated, leveling another glare at him.

Daniel tilted his head and smiled. “And you think that will stop me? It’s been seven years, David. It’s only fair that we get to have a conversation after all that time, given what we had. I thought you missed me,” An arm snaked its way around David’s shoulders and pulled him closer.

“That was before you _murdered_ _a child_. I should arrest you right now,” David spat, putting his hands on Daniel’s chest to try to push him away. He didn’t want to be anywhere near him right now. Daniel’s grip only tightened, his nails digging into David’s shoulder. He went stiff when he realized he wasn’t getting away any time soon.

“Oh, but will you?” he mused, twirling the rose between his fingers.

David stayed silent, watching the rose instead of looking into Daniel’s eyes, which he absolutely refused to do.

“I thought not. Now, I think we need to talk, hm?” Daniel lead David towards the couch and took a seat, resting his cheek on his knuckles while he continued to study the rose in his other hand. David sat down as well, cautiously tense and eyeing every movement the blond made.

“You’ve aged well. Just as stunning as the first day we met,” he said, a smile twitching at his lips. David remained silent. Some part of him wanted to acknowledge that Daniel had aged well, too. _Very_ well. As much as David hated to admit it, Daniel was incredibly attractive as an adult. He tore his eyes away before he could let his brain point out all the flawless details in the man’s appearance.

“I don’t know if you know this, but a conversation requires two participants,” Daniel chuckled lightly. “Speaking of which, I wonder if you still do that rambling thing I liked. Remember when you talked for two and a half hours about the importance of recycling when I put my empty cup in the wrong trash can? That was your best work yet.” David allowed a faint smile to play on his lips, recalling the memory.

 

“And _that’s_ why you have to recycle, Danny!” David finished, putting his hands on his hips and taking a deep breath.

Daniel looked up at him with a dorky grin and shook his head. “Wow, that makes two hours and thirty-four minutes. A new record,” he said.

David pouted, crossing his arms. “It’s _important_. Pollution is not something to be trifled with. Especially not in this economy. Might I remind you that the Zodiac Killer could have been caught years ago had it not been for the ice caps melting?” he lectured as he sat down next to his lover, who was cackling and covering half of his face with his hand.

They were currently sitting in the park that was always empty. The air was cool and smelled like flowers and a touch of cinnamon. On their way to the park, they had stopped for coffee, and David witnessed Daniel throw away his recyclable cup in the trash can when the can for recycling was right next to it. That prompted the two and a half lecture about the importance of recycling that Daniel had to sit through.

Daniel’s laughter died down with a sigh and shook his head again. “Oh, love, you are too much sometimes. At least you know how to make a damn good speech. You should become a public speaker. They do this all the time,” he said.

David shrugged. “No way. I’d get too nervous and just end up stuttering like an idiot. No one would even try to listen to me,” he frowned, eyes trained on the dirt he was kicking up.

Daniel smiled and tugged at David’s scarf, pulling him towards him. “I’d listen to you.”

A blush bloomed across David’s face and he smiled sadly. “No, you wouldn’t,” he scoffed.

“Then what would you call what I just did for three hours?” Daniel asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Two and a half.”

“I’d listen to you all day if I have to.”

“You would _not_.”

“I would too!”

David snorted and pushed lightly on Daniel’s face. “You’re such a dork, Danny,” he grinned.

Daniel wrapped an arm around the redhead’s shoulders and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “It takes one to know one, love. You are _so_ much more of a dork then I am.” David gasped at him in fake-shock, then broke down in laughter before he could say anything back. Daniel was only making him laugh harder by kissing him all over his face.

After a few more hours of talking and flirting, Daniel walked David home. “Thanks for today, Danny. I had so much fun,” David said once they reached his rickety porch. He had said that every time he came back from a date with Daniel, mostly because he noticed that good days had been more frequent ever since they started dating, and he couldn’t be more thankful for the endless happiness Daniel brought him.

“Of course, darling. It’s all worth it just to see that breathtaking smile of yours.” Daniel said smoothly. David laughed and covered his face to hide his blush. Daniel chuckled, shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “You want a goodbye kiss or not?”

David immediately dropped his hands and shot Daniel a glare with no real bite behind it. Daniel just smiled and tugged on his scarf again. “Come on, love, I have to get home before Gwen tries to convince her parents I ran away again.” David burst out laughing and kissed him, knowing he’d never run away while David was here.

 

David opened his eyes. Daniel was still sitting on the couch, staring at him with nothing but adoration in his eyes. But this wasn’t Daniel. Not the Daniel he knew.

His smile melted into a frown, and he looked away. Daniel’s smile faded, too. “I came here because I knew you’d have questions, David. I’m here to answer them.” He spoke, his voice no longer harsh and cold.

David glanced up and met his eyes, then looked back down to the floor. “Have you been here this whole time? In this city?” he asked.

“Yes.” Daniel replied simply.

David nodded. “Was it you who left me presents on my birthday? And the card that said ‘back soon’?”

“Yes.”

“Did you really run away?”

“No.”

“How many people have you killed?”

“At least thirty. At most? Seventy.”

Something caught in David’s throat as he heard that answer. He swallowed it and coughed.

“Can you tell me what happened?”

“Not right now, no.”

“Why?”

“I can’t tell you, David. I wish I could, but I can’t. Next question.”

“Did you really...um...never mind. Do you still—never mind, that’s worse. Uh, I’m sorry, I’m drawing a blank right now,” David chuckled dryly. All the nights he had spent laying awake, laying out exactly what questions he’d asked and when he’d ask them went down the drain, just like in the bank.

Daniel waited patiently. By David’s scrunched up face and how he’d squint every so often, he could tell he was thinking hard. It was adorable, and he could watch him all day, but he wasn’t supposed to be here in the first place and was sure to get punished when he got back, so he needed to enjoy the time he had here now or leave.

He stood, snapping David out of his thoughts. He stood too, anxious that he’d be in danger if he was the one sitting. That sudden thought hurt, because he never had to worry about that seven years ago.

“Well, this was nice. I’m happy we could catch up. And I assure you, I’ll be seeing you around.” Daniel said. "And, by the way," He scooped up one of David’s hands, pressed a kiss to his knuckles, and dropped it. "It's Lafayette."

And with that, he was gone, leaving David alone and conflicted.

* * *

 

There were a lot of things that David didn’t want to admit.

Most were minor things. Things that, if revealed to others around him, wouldn’t really taint their opinion on him. He was always anxious that it might, however, and made sure that his stupid mouth didn’t run off without him and spout information that no one cared about. Without Daniel there to just stare at him with the dorkiest grin to validate his rambling, he grew a distaste for it, and all the joy he got from debating topics with himself was sucked away. He practiced limiting himself after Daniel disappeared, because as it turned out, people stopped caring after a couple years of painful silence.

One thing David didn’t want to admit was that he was more or less obsessed with finding Daniel for the first few years of his disappearance. After that period, Daniel was always in the back of his mind. It wasn’t something he was proud to admit, and definitely not something he would share with any other living being. Even so, that hole in his chest that Daniel left was slowly starting to fill up again. Maybe it was because now, he had closure. Daniel was alive and well. A murderer, yes, but alive nonetheless.

But there was another reason that David absolutely refused to think about. Another reason that made him shiver, with anxiety or disgust, he didn’t know. Whatever it was, he made a point not to spend time thinking about it, lest it be his downfall. Daniel was his weakness, and he knew it. One thing David was genuinely surprised about was that he didn’t try to make a move on him while he was in his apartment. They had a somewhat civilized chat, and then he just left, which might have been the most confusing thing Daniel had done since yesterday. Well, besides killing thirty to seventy people, plus a child.

And then, the thought that _David_ might be the one to kiss him first was another thing he wasn’t ready to deal with. It was obviously something he had thought about- he thought of doing it the moment they caught eyes again after seven goddamn years-and he was ashamed to imagine how amazing it might feel compared to the last seven years of nothing but numbness. But was it morally correct to want to kiss him like he did seven years ago? Maybe not, but he found that he was willing to deal with the consequences that would inevitably shape the rest of his life.

Thoughts like these kept him up at night. It wasn’t like he got much sleep anyway, and he could tell by the makeup under his eyes that Daniel didn’t get much, either. He found that fact a bit comforting, for reasons he was unsure of. He wondered if Daniel was sleeping right now, or thinking about him like David had been doing all night.

It wasn’t only his thoughts that kept him up, however. It was also the fear of experiencing another one of his stupid nightmares. Being ripped apart by a pack of wolves, being hanged in the 1880’s, drowning in the middle of the ocean and the like were the kind of dreams he was forced through often. He had always had nightmares, but they got worse the day after Daniel disappeared. Of course, he’d never admit it, and he didn't have to.

By the time his thoughts had calmed, the sun was already up. That alone made him feel exasperated. His phone dinged, and he reached over to see a text from Jasper:

“ _I’ll cover for you if you need more time.”_

David smiled, and texted back a reply.

" _I'm fine now. Thank you for offering Jasp :)_ ”

“ _No problem, Davey. I'll see you soon._ ”

David tossed his phone on his nightstand and sighed. He was grateful for Jasper, one of the only people who didn’t make fun of him, but he always called him ‘Davey’. He pretended that it didn’t bother him, even though it made his heart ache every time he said it. His mother always called him Davey, and his father use to, but after she left, his father barely even noticed him, let alone verbally acknowledged him.

Suddenly, something dawned on him. Daniel had never called him that. He looked over at the letter on his wall. He saw Daniel read it, so he must have known it was what his mom called him. Why, then, did he not use it? Maybe he knew it would make him uncomfortable. Maybe he preferred to use his real name, or just liked using pet names like ‘love’ or ‘darling’ more.

David felt himself blush when he remembered the pet names Daniel use to use on him. Something he was okay admitting: he missed that. So far, Daniel hadn’t used any pet names on him whatsoever. Instead he did the opposite, and called him ‘Detective Orchard’. But last night, he called him by his name again, and even revealed his own last name.

Maybe something happened that made Daniel change. Their Q and A didn’t reveal much, but at least it was new information. That he was thankful for, because it gave him another chance at finding out what happened. For some reason, Daniel himself couldn’t tell him what happened, but he didn’t run away, and that was something.

David had a couple options. He could go on a trip around the city and ask people if they knew anything about Daniel or Campbell. The issue was, it would take forever and he didn't know how much time he had left before Daniel did something stupid and got himself arrested. Another option was to find Daniel and ask him directly, that or follow him to see if that would reveal any information. And the final option: waiting for Daniel to come to him.

David yelped as someone knocked on his door. He sat up and rubbed his eyes, then stood and opened the door. Kevin was waiting there with an annoyed expression.

“Yo, did you have like, a boyfriend or somethin’ come over? He left pancakes on the thingy and fuckin’ knocked me out.” he grumbled. David tilted his head. “I-I don’t...wait, he did what?” David pushed past his grumpy roommate and hastily made his way to the kitchen.

True to his word, a plate of pancakes wrapped in tinfoil was waiting on the stove. A vase with a single red rose was on the island, with a note attached to a white ribbon that was tied around it. David reached out and took the note.

“ _Sorry about your roommate. He came out of nowhere and scared the shit out of me._ ” David chuckled, “ _Anyway, I made pancakes and I had extras. Thought you’d might like some. You seemed to like them last time I made them for you. Recipe is on the back of this note if you want to make them yourself._ ”

David flipped the note, and a recipe for homemade pancakes was on the back. He smiled absentmindedly and flipped the note back over to read the rest. “ _The rose is because on my way here I saw a flower shop. Figured you might like an extra rose for your late birthday. Also, I was forced to watch Doctor What and Rose Tyler reminded me of you for some reason. I’d pick you over Rose Tyler any day, though. I’ll be around.”_

He read the note again, then again, then one more time. Why...was it so friendly? Last night, Daniel complimented him, then insulted him, then complimented him again. But why the flip-flop? The note was full of compliments and had no sarcastic remarks in it at all. And the ' _I_ ’ _ll be around_ '? Around where? His home, his work?

With that thought, David glanced at the clock, and raced to get ready for work. He was already ten minutes late, and the day was about to get a lot more interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> danny is back and david is gay! your reactions were so funny and made me smile, so i thank you. i promise you, things will get better for these two dorks. let me know what you think!


	9. And I'll Fall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are bad, then they get better, then worse, then better for two whole minutes, then shitty, then fine, then good :).

When David got to the precinct, he could tell things were no different.

Per the norm, everybody ignored him, barely sparing him a glance. He half expected everyone to at least show some form of sympathy after yesterday, but no one seemed to even remember. Except for Jason.

“Gayvid! How’s your boyfriend? I heard that he murders children now? You must be so proud.” Jason boomed as soon as David sat down at his desk.

There was something building in his chest that clogged his throat and clenched his fists, but David tried to remain calm. “Not today, Jason.” David replied through gritted teeth.

“Oh, lighten up, I’m just teasin’! Not like you’re already a walking disaster, but one with a murdering boyfriend? That’s too much, Gayvid. Get a hobby!” Jason cackled, some of David’s co-workers laughing along with him. And with that, David had enough.

David stood and whipped around to face Jason with fire in his eyes. “Fuck. Off.” He said.

Jason’s laughter immediately stopped, and he leveled a dark look at the redhead. “What did you just say to me?” David stepped closer and got in his face.

“I said, fuck. Off. I’m tired of your constant pestering and shitty insults. I am _done_ with it.” He stated, maintaining eye contact.

Jason scoffed. “And what makes you think you can get away with speaking to me like this?”

David smiled. “Well, I could always get my murdering boyfriend to come to your house and kill you, or I could file a complaint about all of the homophobic and sexist comments you make to your co-workers, and you can lose your job.” he said simply, clasping his hands behind his back. He hated to admit how nice it felt to refer to Daniel as his boyfriend, but that was a thought for another time.

“Or, you could stop. Harassing me and others is impressing no one, so you might as well quit. Bad things can happen. It’s your choice, Sarge.” David stepped back, a little dizzy from the adrenaline of finally standing up for himself and a little ashamed of how much he sounded like Daniel. God, he thought about that man every second he got, didn’t he?

The room was dead silent. Jasper had the biggest smile on his face, and Jason looked so, very angry. He sighed. “Fine. Whatever.” And he stormed away.

David took a shaky breath in, then sat down to start working.

 

The rest of the day passed by smoothly. Some people came up to compliment on how brave he was, others came up to apologize. Jason glared at him from across the room, but otherwise said nothing. David didn’t care, he won, and that was all he needed right now.

David was asked to stay late to finish some paperwork, but he was happy for the distraction. Jasper offered to help, but David refused. He wanted to be alone somewhere other than his apartment.

Twelve o’ clock. David could feel his eyelids closing every now and then, only for him to jolt up and shake his head. When he looked down, there was a note in his hand.

“ _Bathroom. Now. Important._ ”

David flipped it over, but it was blank on the back. He read the note again, shook his head again, then stood up.

“Might as well. I’ve got nothing to lose,” he muttered to himself as he made his way towards the bathroom. He opened the door and walked in, eyeing the room suspiciously.

Suddenly the door slammed behind him, and he heard a lock turning. David spun around, and there he was.

Daniel. Wearing that _stupid_ smirk and holding a key like a Shakespearean skull.

“Well, well, well! I thought you were smart, Detective Orchard. Would a smart detective follow the instructions of a stupid little note without question? Pathetic.” He tucked the key into his pocket.

David immediately tensed up, shoulders rising and eyes widening. “H-how did you get in here?” He squeaked. Daniel looked up and tilted his head, an action that made David’s stomach flip. “Front door, duh. What, you think I got in through the vents? God, you really are as dumb as you look,” Daniel scoffed.

“I can arrest you, you know,” David stated, trying to sound brave.

“Oh, but we both know you won’t do that. Not only is your shit out there, but if you wanted to arrest me, you would have done it by now.” Daniel countered.

“Let me _go_.”

“Uh, _no_. Sorry, baby, but we have some more things to chat about, don’t we?”

“...the note? The, uh, first one? This morning.”

Daniel scoffed again, rolling his eyes. “Oh, _that_ thing? Yeah, uh, hate to break it to you, buttercup, but I didn’t write that. Sorry to get your stupid little hopes up, I don’t make pancakes anymore.” He took a step closer to David. “You...didn’t think I still _liked_ you, right?” he asked with a chuckle.

David backed up a step. “Of course not. You don’t think I still like you, _right?_ ” He spat. Daniel gave him a mock-sympathetic look and cupped his face with one hand.

“Oh, David, I _know_ you still like me. Love me, even. It’s so painfully obvious how smitten you are with me, all over again.” He grasped David’s chin and forced him to look up at him. “Twice, huh? I didn’t think you could get more pathetic, and yet here we are,” he paused to lean into David’s ear.

“I hope you get what you’re looking for, because I know I will.” Daniel whispered. He pulled away, still wearing that damned smirk.

“And what exactly are you looking for?” David asked with a glare.

Daniel only smiled, patting his hair like he was some sort of pet. “Trust me, it will be so much more fun if you wait and see,” he answered cryptically.

David frowned and pushed past Daniel to get to the door. He tugged at the handle, kicked it, tried busting it open, everything. Nothing worked, and Daniel watched him with an amused smile.

“I locked it, dumbass. You’re only getting out of here once I’m satisfied,” he called.

David wiped his forehead. “What could possibly satisfy _you_ ?” He panted, shrugging off his jacket. “More stupid questions with stupid answers? No, I’m _done_ talking to you. You were a fun part of my past, but you’re not that anymore, and we weren’t even together that long. What we had was just a fling. You’re not my boyfriend, you’re _not_ my friend, and I am not going to be a part of your stupid fantasy or whatever. I’m leaving.” When he turned around, Daniel was standing right behind him, a calm expression with half-lidded eyes that made his knees weak.

“Alright. I admire your determination. I’ll let you leave, but you have to do something for me,” Daniel said in a low tone. David narrowed his eyes. “You have to kiss me.”

David let out an exasperated groan and pushed on Daniel’s chest. “God, I don’t know what I expected. Of _course_ you want to kiss me—”

“That’s not what I said.”

David stopped and looked at him. “What...what do you mean then?” He asked. Daniel smiled, and stepped forward again. “I need _you_ to kiss _me_. Simple, really. Even an idiot like you could figure it out,” he said smoothly. David’s eyes searched the floor.

“Why...uh, why do you...um, why do you want me to kiss _you_?” David stuttered. “Well, you want to go home, don’t you? This is the only way I’ll let you go. One kiss, you to me, and you’re free to go.” David frowned. That didn’t answer his question in the slightest, but he was tired and he really did wanted to go home.

“Ugh, you know what? Whatever, it’s just a stupid kiss. Fine.” David placed his hands awkwardly on Daniel’s shoulders, biting his lip.

“When was the last time you kissed someone?” Daniel asked softly. He wrapped an arm around David’s waist and caressed his face with his other hand.

David blushed and looked down. He expected Daniel to laugh or to call him an idiot, but he only hummed. “I see. Well, this will be a good refresher for later, hm?” Daniel offered. David snorted, laughter bubbling in his chest. “Yeah, for later,” he echoed, shaking his head.

The two stared at each other for a moment, before David finally leaned in, his hands closing around Daniel’s neck. And, _God_ , was it heaven.

David hadn’t been kissed in years, even after all of that dating, no one kissed him. He thought maybe he was too ugly or not good enough, so he stopped trying. And still, he craved any sort of human affection.

Even so, was this right? Sure, it felt incredible, but Daniel was a murderer, a criminal. None of that was new information, but it still confused David. It sucked, though, because Daniel was always a great kisser, and David could tell that he had only gotten better. It was rough and it was needing, but it was _so damn good_. But David would never admit that.

Right now, David thought this was exactly what he needed. He was still unsure of the blond’s true intentions, but for now he didn’t care, because he was pretty sure Daniel was unbuttoning his shirt.

“Daniel...w-we can’t d-do this…” David murmured as he pulled away.

“I know. You think that’ll stop me?” He pushed David against the wall. “You’re perfect and I _hate_ it.” Daniel whispered, then kissed David again. And David allowed himself to admit that he loved every second of it, no matter how wrong it was.

David expected some awkwardness when he pulled away finally, but what he didn’t expect was a knife to his throat. He tensed, a small gasp escaping his lips. Daniel’s arm was tight around his waist, keeping him in place.

“Wow, I didn’t think that would actually work! Holy shit! You’ll fall for anything, won’t you?” Daniel laughed, a wild grin on his face that didn’t meet his eyes.

“W-what the hell? Daniel, you said—” David started, but Daniel cut him off with a scoff.

“Ugh, did you actually _believe_ me? God, you really are an idiot.” The knife was cold against David’s skin as it was pushed closer. He tried to struggle away, but Daniel was too strong, and his back was to the wall.

Daniel chuckled at his attempts. “Don’t bother, baby. I’m not letting you get away so easily. But, let’s get this over with, hm?” He tilted his head and smiled cruelly. Daniel leaned in closer and pressed a kiss to David’s lips, who was on the verge of tears.

“David...you have to kiss me back, or I’ll kill you right now,”  he murmured, pulling away for just a second. David scowled at him, rage burning in his chest. “Fuck. Off.” He spat. Daniel’s face was completely blank, and he shrugged. “Well, I warned you,” he said.

David felt a sharp pain in his chest, and he bit his lip to keep himself from screaming. He could feel the blood dripping down and it was _awful_. Daniel sighed. “Are you done being a bad boy? Or do I have to carve my name into your body?” He grinned, spinning the blood-stained knife in his hand.

Tears streamed down David’s face, and he was gasping painfully; it hurt to breathe. And as of now, it hurt to be alive. He shook his head, and let Daniel kiss him again. Another painful gasp escaped him as he felt the knife being dragged across his stomach. David pushed against the blond, sobbing and gasping and trying to _get away_ , but he was weak and Daniel was strong.

Finally, Daniel let go, and David fell in a heap on the floor, his vision getting blurry. Daniel knelt down and wiped the blood from his lip with his thumb, almost lovingly. The look on his face was anything but loving, it was bitter eyes and a wicked smile.

“I think I’ve had my fun. Let’s get you home now, hm?” Daniel said, scooping David off the floor. David was too dizzy and weak from blood loss to do anything but put his hands on the blond’s chest and try to push away. Eventually, he gave up, letting his eyes close. “Atta boy.” Daniel murmured, pressing a kiss to his sweaty forehead.

* * *

 

When David woke up, Daniel was sitting on top of him, holding a bottle of water and a cloth in his hands. There was a wet washcloth draped across David’s forehead. He glanced around to see that he was in his own house on his bed.

As soon as he started thrashing and trying to get up, Daniel put the water and cloth down and grabbed his wrists, pinning him to the mattress. “David, I need you to stay still. I have to bandage your wounds. It will only take a minute,” he said.

“The wounds that _you_ made! Get _off_ me, you _ass_ _!”_ David shouted.

Daniel cringed. “Ah, I suppose I did. Sorry for that, I was only following orders.”

“ _Who’s_ orders?”

David stopped squirming, the only reason being he didn’t have the energy, and he needed that so he could arrest Daniel as soon as he was done.

“Campbell’s, obviously. Well, actually he wanted you dead, but we both know I can’t do that.” Daniel poured some water onto the cloth. “This might sting. Try not to move.”

David yelped once it touched his skin, and Daniel pulled it back. “Why is it cold?” He asked.

Daniel shrugged. “You tell me, I got it from _your_ fridge.” He started wiping the blood away, and the two were silent for a moment.

“Are you actually sorry? For, I don’t know, everything? Or is this another stupid act to gain my trust?” David asked bitterly.

Daniel paused to look at him. “Of course I am. David, I would never hurt you if I didn’t have to. This was just one of those rare moments where I had no choice.”

“Why does Campbell want me dead?”

“Well, you know how you know me? Campbell thinks that whatever information—‘weaknesses’, he calls it— you have on me, you'll use against me. And, since I’m his second in command, against him as well. That man has no idea what he’s doing. I tried to tell him that you didn’t care about me anymore, but he didn’t listen.”

He was quiet for a moment. “Campbell told me to kill you, by any means possible. I could kill a million people before I could kill you. So, I convinced him to just let me hurt you as sort of a warning, and here we are. Sit up, let me wrap these around you.”

David sat up, and Daniel started wrapping the bandages around his wounds. “You...you think I don’t care about you?” David asked softly.

Daniel looked up at him. “Of course I do. I’ve done so much shit to you in the past couple days. I don’t deserve anything remotely related to you. All I have is that dorky picture, and I don’t deserve even that.”

He finished wrapping the bandages and stood up. “Well, you’re all good. Put new ones on...everyday or something, I don’t know.” Daniel turned to leave, but stopped. David followed his gaze to the postcard from his mother on the wall.

“I’m sorry. If I wasn’t forced to do that, I wouldn’t have. Hell, I would’ve done everything differently. But, alas,” he turned towards the door, “it doesn’t work like that.”

Just as Daniel was about to leave, David reached out and grabbed his hand.

“Wait,”

Daniel stopped, but didn’t face him. David was quiet for a while, thinking it over. Daniel apologized, bandaged him up, and took him home. Sure, this might all be an act, but something made him doubt that. David’s plan of arresting him before he could get away again was crumbling before his eyes. He wanted to hate Daniel, but there was some part of him that couldn’t. Maybe, he thought, there really was some part of him that was in love with him, all over again. Maybe he hated it. Maybe he loved it. Either way, something was different.

“I’m...I was thinking about watching a movie tonight. I’m pretty sure Kevin isn’t home, and I know it’s late, but...would you want to watch with me?” David asked shyly.

Daniel turned around, a smile twitching at his lips. “Depends, what movie?”

“Depends, do you actually care?” David grinned as he stood up. Daniel laughed, but shook his head.

And with that, David threw on a shirt, and led Daniel to the couch.

 

The two sat on the couch in front of the TV. Neither said it, but it reminded them of the time where Daniel got beat up and they cuddled up downstairs in front of the TV to ease David’s mind a bit. In the end, it didn’t really ease his mind, but it was a somewhat nice memory.

With a muted bang, the air conditioning turned on. David pointed it out first.

“I’m cold.”

Daniel glanced over at him. “Then get a sweater. I know you used to have like, twenty.”

“Twelve. And I don’t wanna get up.”

“I’m not getting it for you.”

David huffed and crossed his arms. Daniel looked over at him again, but his neutral expression melted into slight concern when he saw that David was actually shivering. With a sigh he adjusted his position so he was laying down, and held open his arms.

“Come on, you baby.” Daniel said. David’s eyes widened a little, and he blushed, but he laid down in Daniel’s arms and got comfortable.

“Better?” Daniel whispered. David nodded, too flustered to say anything. Eventually, it slipped his mind, and his attention turned back to the movie.

After a while, David found that he was still cold. Instead of getting up to retrieve one of his sweaters, he just turned away from the screen and buried his nose in Daniel’s neck. Daniel went rigid, but soon relaxed.

“You can’t watch the movie if you’re like this, David,” he murmured.

“That’s okay. You can just tell me what’s going on,” David replied sleepily.

“I’m not going to tell you what’s going on in every scene just so you can cuddle with me.”

“Okay then…”

Daniel ran his fingers through the redhead’s hair. “This movie is stupid.”

“ _You’re_ stupid,” David muttered, half asleep.

The blond chuckled. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to an Emotional Roller coaster. God is dead and so am I.  
> Is Daniel good? Is he bad? Who fucking knows at this point? Definitely not David, that's for sure.  
> Thanks for reading! Sorry I like torturing ya'll :/. Let me know what you think!


	10. Not What We Need

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! I'm so sorry this took so long, I've had a...change of scenery, but I'm flexible. Trust me, I didn't forget about this.

David didn't remember what happened after that. The only thing he knew was that he woke up alone.

He didn't remember what time Daniel left, or if he even left at all, but after a thorough search of the apartment, he came to the conclusion that he did, in fact, leave. He didn't know why, but that left a weird feeling in his chest. Maybe it was just his injury.

Kevin had watched him all morning, sipping on some coffee. "What'cha doin' there, Dave?" He asked once David collapsed on the couch. "Scavenger hunt?" 

David smiled faintly. "No, no, not really. It's nothing."

Kevin frowned. "Doesn't seem like nothin'. You look like you're about to cry. Was what you lost  _that_ important?" 

"...yeah. Yeah, it was. But, I have a feeling I'll find it again soon anyways."

The other man nodded. "Weird. Trust your gut, Orchard."

David smiled. "I will. Thanks Kev."

 

The first big mistake of the day was not taking painkillers before he left for work. Throughout the morning, every movement David made caused him to flinch or gasp in pain. He was sent home when he accidentally bumped into a desk and cried out. _Loudly_.

Embarrassed but relieved, David drove home.

He had already made it up the first flight of stairs before he realized he forgot to get the mail. With a sigh, he started walking back down. He stopped when someone slammed open the door to the building. The person cursed and bolted to the stairs, and David got a good look at his face. That someone, who was just as surprised to see him, was Daniel.

“What the hell are you doing here?” Daniel yelled up at him.

“I _live_ here!” David called back.

“That’s not what I…” he sighed, and started making his way up the stairs to him. “Why aren’t you at work?”

“They...they sent me home, are you okay? You’re bleeding…” Daniel glanced at his shoulder. “I’m fine. Is there a closet or something somewhere?”

David squinted at him. “Why? What’s wrong?”

“We don’t have time for that, David, just tell me.”

“Uh, there’s a storage closet on the third floor, Daniel, what’s going on?”

Without warning, Daniel grabbed his hand and rushed up the stairs, two steps at a time. He threw open the door and pushed David in so forcefully that he almost fell on his face. Shutting the door behind him, Daniel stepped in, searching the room for something.

“Daniel, if you don’t tell me what’s going on right now I’m going to scream _so_ loud,” David threatened. Daniel stopped, and spun around with wide eyes.

“Oh, will you?” he teased. The playful expression drained from his face when he heard the door downstairs fly open with a loud _BANG_.

Suddenly, his hands were on either side of David, pinning him to the wall. “Listen,” he whispered, “there is an incredibly dangerous man in this building and you need to stay silent to avoid confrontation with him. Understand?”

David scoffed. “I’m a cop, I’m sure I can take him.”

“You can’t. I tried, and I couldn’t stop him.”

“What does he want?”

“He—” Daniel stopped. Booming footsteps stomped their way up the stairs. “You need to stay quiet.”

“You need to tell me what’s going on,”

“I can’t right now—”

“That’s such bull crap!”

“David—”

David pushed on Daniel in an attempt to get away. “You can’t just expect me to comply with your stupid games for your own gain! I’m _sick_ of it!”

“If you don’t shut up, you’re going to make me do something you _really_ don’t want me to do,” Daniel hissed.

“What? You gonna _stab_ me again? Is that it—”

David was cut off when Daniel pressed his lips against his. David tensed, then slowly relaxed. He knew, of course, that Daniel might kiss him to shut him up, but he didn’t expect it to be so...gentle. And as soon as he started to kiss him back, he pulled away.

“I need you to be quiet, love. I can’t have you getting hurt again.” Daniel whispered. Searching his eyes, David swallowed and nodded, then wrapped him in a hesitant embrace. Daniel returned it, and the two waited.

Footsteps pounded towards the storage closet, and halted. David could feel the other man tense, his breathing still. The footsteps continued, making their way up to the fourth floor.

“Where is he going?” David whispered.

“Shh, baby,” Daniel replied.

They waited for twenty minutes for the footsteps to return, then head back downstairs. Ten minutes passed before Daniel said it was safe. He opened the door and immediately started down the stairs. But David called out;

“Wait!”

Daniel stopped. He turned around with a blank expression.

“You’re still bleeding.”

Daniel glanced at his shoulder, then back at David. “Your point?”

David gave him a half smile and tilted his head. “You fixed me up last night, it’s only fair that I fix you up now.”

The blond narrowed his eyes at him.

“And also so you can explain what that was all about so I don’t get anxious about it and think about it for the rest of the month.”

And with that, a smile broke through, and Daniel shook his head. “Alright, fine.”

* * *

 

“So,” David started.

Daniel was currently sitting on the old couch, with David on a stool next to him. A first aid kit rested by his feet, and David was wiping the blood from the wound. Daniel had David let him enter first, and only calmed when he had searched the whole place.

“Who was that guy?”

Daniel sighed. “He’s a gang leader. He got a tip that you would help him overthrow Campbell, so naturally he ended up here. I tried to fight him off, but I ran out of bullets. I came here to warn you, but he was already hot on my tail.”

David nodded, but he wasn’t done yet. “Don’t worry, though. Once I find him, I won’t need every bullet. One between the eyes should suffice. Or I could torture him for a few days. Depends on how I'm feeling.”

Silence filled the room. David bit his lip. Only now did it occur to him that he was bandaging a murderer. But, that same murderer had just went out of his way to save him. And...he called him ‘love’, a pet name David used to adore. There was the possibility of him just using it to get into his head, but David wasn’t sure. He had protected him, but why?

“Why do you feel the need to protect me?” David blurted out. The silence was killing him, and there was too much on his mind to keep quiet.

“What do you mean?” Daniel asked, expressionless.

“Why...why are you protecting me one moment, and then hurting me the next? Why are you so willing to hurt me, then to keep me warm, then to leave without a note or something, then protect me from some random guy you claim is after what useless information I have on somebody I used to know, then tell me how you’ll kill him? And, you won’t even tell me what happened in the seven years we’ve been apart! You don’t tell me anything, and it almost seems like you expect me to pick up where we left off! I…” David sighed. “I don’t know you anymore, yet you’re so eager to keep me safe while contradicting yourself. I just...I don’t understand.”

Daniel was quiet. Then he stood, pulling down his shirt sleeve. David stood too, confused. When Daniel finally looked at him, it was like a knife to his heart. He could almost see a gloomy storm in his sky blue eyes.

“Thank you for bandaging my wound, but I think it’s time I left.” Daniel said. He made his way towards the door, but David called out again;

“Wait,”

And he stopped, turning around to meet his eyes.

Slowly, David walked towards him, nervously picking at his hands and heart pounding out of his chest. He stopped only when they were inches away.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Daniel whispered.

David bit his lip, swallowed hard, and nodded. Gently, he took hold of Daniel’s shirt, pulling them closer.

“Are you sure?” Daniel asked.

David frowned. “What, you scared?” He murmured.

Daniel chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing, couldn’t I?”

“Mm, maybe.”

“This isn’t going to get too...intimate, right?”

“I’ll try. Sucks, because you’re probably amazing there, too.”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Daniel laughed.

There was silence, so quiet they could hear each other’s heartbeat. David took a deep breath. This was it. Arms wrapped around his waist, and the two met in the middle.

As the kiss deepened, David’s fingers found their way through soft blond hair. A hand came up to stroke his cheek, and he almost smiled. This was what he’d been waiting for, a forbidden moment he longed to have, happening right now. For the moment, they weren’t a cop and a criminal, they were David and Daniel, two kids living their best life. They couldn’t ask for anything more, but there was a certain fear that came with that moment. The fear that, when they opened their eyes, it wouldn’t be the same.

So they didn’t. And the fantasy remained.

Daniel, a lonely murderer with a mysterious past, fell in love again. This time, he knew it would change him, for the better. It just happened to be with the same person, as if fate was on his side. After years of not knowing whether he’d ever feel this way again, there it was. David felt it too.

David, the happy-go-lucky police officer hiding behind a forced smile, was grinning ear-to-ear. _What could be better than this_ , he thought. He didn’t need an answer, because there wasn’t one. He was right here, all over again, and it felt so _good_ to have him. While although he wasn’t ready to admit his feelings, he didn’t ignore them.

Of course, nothing lasts, and the kiss ended. David refused to look at Daniel, instead hiding in his neck. Shame washed over him, and the light world he saw disappeared and faded to black. But he didn’t pull away, selfishly clinging to the last bits of a memory. He could still feel the ghost of the blond’s lips on his own, and almost wanted to kiss him again.

A kiss was placed on his forehead, and the only thing keeping him standing vanished. It felt familiar. It felt like the day he went missing. The day he walked to Gwen’s house, only to find police cars in front of it. That same ache, that same sharp pain in his heart…

He felt it now. And it hurt even more.

David fell to his knees, and sobbed into his shaking hands. _Why,_ he thought, _why me?_   When the silence didn’t answer, he cried, loud and hard.

The rain outside mirrored the two. Daniel was the storm, the cause. David was the people below, the ones receiving the rain. Neither were happy with their position, but there was nothing they could to to change it.

Daniel didn’t have an umbrella, but he didn’t want one. He was crying, and the rain was his mask. He let the rain soak into his clothes, soak into his mind, and cleanse it. Cleanse him. A technique he learned from his father. The rain was suppose to be calming...

But this time, it wasn’t strong enough to calm the storm of emotions swirling around in him. Half of him wanted to run back, to scoop up David in his arms and tell him everything was going to be alright. The other half was fighting to remain the cold-hearted killer everyone wanted him to be, the man who showed nothing but amusement in the face of death and pain, the man who gained power from others suffering, the man who wasn’t afraid to kill to get what he wanted. The man he didn’t want to be, but wasn’t offered a choice in the first place.

He shoved open the door to the base and walked briskly to his chambers. A few people tried to stop him, just to chat or to ask about an upcoming mission. He stormed past them, and locked the door behind him. He took a hot shower, dressed, and tossed his wet clothes over the sink. With a sigh, he sat down on his bed, running a hand through his damp hair.

Just a glimpse of the picture was all that was needed to break him. And it hurt. He pressed his balled up fists to his wet eyes, trying to make the tears stop. He stood and threw his hands down.

“GOD DAMN IT!” Daniel screamed. In a blind rage, he grabbed the picture and smashed it on the ground. The frame scattered on the floor, shards of glass littering the hard wood. He exhaled, and ran a hand through his hair again.

Careful not to touch the glass, Daniel flipped over the frame, just to stare into the face of his younger self. The picture had fallen out of the frame almost completely, so Daniel gently pulled it out.

Gazing at the picture, he almost smiled. Daniel was kissing David’s cheek, while the redhead laughed blissfully. A moment occurring after they had heard news of the robbery-homicides, somehow joyful and happy. Something Daniel didn’t deserve.

He placed the picture down on the bedside table, deciding to take care of the glass later. After he made up a quick lie about where he was, he headed out to buy a new frame.

 

David had just finished tending to his own wounds, and was lying in bed. He too, was staring at the picture. And he too, was thinking, ‘I don’t deserve that’. The real question was ‘why?’, but David didn’t know how to answer. He was almost afraid to think about it. But with nothing but time, he tried to list the reasons why he thought he didn’t deserve that, whatever it was.

He paused, because he needed to figure out what ‘it’ was first. Love? Happiness? A mix of both? Maybe, but it had to at least be one or the other, right?

Love was something he _thought_ he knew. Flustered, loud heartbeat, and stuttering were all things he could confirm meant he was in love. Of course, he felt all of those around Daniel, so maybe he was wrong.

Happiness. He knew what that was. He had that one under wraps. He was happy all the time! How could he not know what happiness is? Then it occurred to him that he wasn’t happy all the time, and right now was proof of that.

So he didn’t know what either meant. Simple concepts, misunderstood by a complicated man. In love with a killer, happy when he’s near.

Maybe he didn’t have the best understanding of what they meant, but he had to have felt them at some point, right? There had to be a time where he was happy, with no connection to Daniel at all. He thought, but came up empty. Now that was all he could think of, times when Daniel was the direct cause of his happiness. Most of those times were seven years ago, like when he got them kicked out of a movie theater for making David laugh too loud. He smiled at the memory, and remembered how funny it was to them back then.

The truth was, he missed moments like that. Moments with someone he could just randomly kiss to make them stop talking, moments with someone who could dip him while dancing to sappy love songs. Moments where he could just say;

“I love you.”

David waited, and sighed. The words were foreign, tasteless. Saying it to a picture meant nothing, and he knew it. He placed the picture face down on the dresser, and rolled over on his side. He was tired. He needed rest, so he closed his eyes.

Rest didn’t come easy. It didn’t for Daniel, either.

Daniel sighed in frustration. A walk would probably help to clear his mind. He sat up and got dressed, slipped on his boots, and headed out.

The smell of rain hit him as soon as he stepped outside, but it relaxed him enough to encourage him to continue.

A few minutes, and he was at his destination. An unnamed park, south of the Riverhill neighborhood. His favorite place to think. Of course, he was surprised to find that the wood bench was occupied.

“Hello, David.”

David frowned, but the anger drained and was replaced with a dull sadness. He scooted over, and Daniel raised a brow.

“You sure you don’t want me to leave?”

The anger returned, and David scoffed. “Could you not be an ass for like, ten minutes?” He threw up his hands in distress.

Daniel sighed. It seemed to be an issue, deciding which Daniel he wanted to be in front of David. The robot killer, or the real him? Sometimes the two met in the middle, fusing into a mess of a man.

“I’m sorry. Can I?” He motioned to the empty space on the bench. David just shrugged, his arms folded across his chest.

Thick silence washed over them. Tension acknowledged by both, with both unsure of how to relieve it. Neither was sure if it even _could_ be relieved.

“Why do you like me so much?” David finally spoke, almost breathless from the unease.

“I could ask you the same thing,” Daniel replied with a chuckle.

David scowled, and looked away. And the silence continued. So Daniel thought.

It seemed his actions and words only made David hate him more, so he wondered, ‘why am I doing this?’, and almost laughed. But it was a question he needed to answer if he wanted to have a conversation.

The simple answer was, he loved him. And he wanted to be with him, but he knew it was wrong. David knew it too, but he was more stubborn about it. They loved each other, but one was good, and one was bad. A hero and a villain. It wasn’t meant to be. But he _loved_ him, and he knew he loved him back.

That kiss broke him, and now he didn’t know who to be. Did he want to be a charismatic murderer who always got what he wanted, or did he want to be a normal person? The second choice, of course, but it wasn’t that easy. Change takes time, and it needs patience. Daniel had none of those, but David did. Love was something akin to that, right?

Daniel frowned. This was getting him nowhere. David was sure to spill about this situation to one of his coworkers, and might be forced into the position of turning him in. It wasn’t just about saving himself, it was about saving David, too. He didn’t have time to think about who he was, he needed a plan.

By the time Daniel had finished his plan and organized his thoughts, David had fallen asleep on his shoulder. And, _god_ , was he gorgeous. Daniel smiled absentmindedly, a genuine smile David would be amazed to see. The man weighed nothing, so he carried him home. And instead of leaving him completely, he stole a pillow and a bottle of wine and sat on the fire escape ladders. He went through the details of his plan in his head, then texted it out and sent it. The response was laughable, so he didn’t bother replying.

Daniel left the window open, and he could hear David muttering in his sleep. With a lopsided smile, he stepped inside again. A soft warm glow from the street lights outside was the only source of light Daniel had, but for now he was willing to bear straining his eyes.

He saw exactly what he expected; David lying on his stomach, the covers strewn about the mattress, with one arm wrapped around a pillow. His hair was an adorable mess, and Daniel’s fingers twitched at the thought of fixing it. He held back, because this situation of Daniel watching him while he slept was already creepy enough.

The smile faded at that thought, and Daniel climbed back through the window. He grabbed the wine bottle and took a drink, already hating the flavor. He made a face, but continued to drink until the bottle was almost empty. His eyes hurt to stay open, so he shut them and drifted off to sleep.

 

David woke up to the smell of rain. He always adored that smell, and it started him off with somewhat of a good mood. He took a deep breath, and plastered on his best smile.

Glancing at the mirror, it seemed too forced, so he dialed back a bit, and it looked better. He caught a glimpse of the time in the mirror as well, and frowned. Looks like he’s have to skip breakfast again, but that was fine. He wasn’t hungry.

David dressed, brushed his teeth and his hair, and left. Rushing to get to work, David didn’t see the man out on the fire escape, asleep, but protecting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i had a lot of time to think about this chapter, so naturally, i avoided thinking about it.  
> sorry if it has a different energy than my other chapters, lots of bull SHIT happened while i was gone.  
> Hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you think?


	11. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mission, start.

The last thing David expected that day was good news, but when he walked into the precinct, Jasper rushed up to him with an excited smile.

“Guess what! You know that drug dealer we’ve been on the tail of for two months?” Jasper asked, grabbing David by the shoulders.

“Uh, yeah?” David said cautiously. In all honesty, he had forgotten. His mind had been a bit...occupied.

“We figured out her next location! She’s attending a party at the mansion on the top of the hill on Richardson!” Jasper exclaimed.

David smiled lopsidedly. It was nice to see Jasper so happy; the two had been hitting wall after wall on this case. To be getting some solid information was a relief. “Well, that’s great, but how are we supposed to get there? I heard that party was invitation only,” he pointed out.

Jasper’s grin only grew. “Do you happen to own a tuxedo?”

 

In the years David had worked as a detective, he had only been undercover a few times. Never attending a party, never in a tuxedo. He would feel more comfortable if he was wearing one of those big fancy ball dresses, and he would feel less nervous if he were anywhere else.

Instead, despite his careful resistance, he was standing in front of the Richardson mansion, in a tux, with Jasper right beside him. At least he wasn’t going in alone.

“So, uh, how are we getting in again? We don’t have invitations,” David whispered to Jasper.

“Don’t worry, Davey, I bought some invitations off of some people, we’ll be fine.”

“What? How much did that cost?”

“A couple thousand dollars. Better make it count,” Jasper winked. David forced a small smile, but still felt anxious. If their drug dealer was attending this, how many more criminals would also be? Would…

David shook the thought from his head before he could even finish it. He had a goal, and he wasn’t going to let _him_ get in the way of accomplishing it. Also because he would feel bad for wasting Jasper’s money...

They handed their invitations to the bodyguard standing in front of the entrance, and he gave them a suspicious look. Jasper remained confident, and David was trying his best, but it was probably obvious how nervous he was. The man let them pass, and David let out the breath he was holding.

The room they walked into was huge. It seemed to be dusted with gold, lit by the glass chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. There were those indoor balconies David had seen at professional theaters, and elegant people dressed in gorgeous dresses and suits looked down at the people below while partaking in what David could only assume was gossip. The floors were a type of white wood, and in the corner there was an elevated platform with a variety of musical instruments on it. By the entrance there was a table lined with every type of food David could think of, surrounded by people engaged in lively conversations. The entire place seemed like a bleached version of those ballrooms David had seen in movies based on the medieval times. There was so much to look at, that the two almost forgot why they were there in the first place.

“So, do we have any idea what our perp looks like? There’s so many people…” David muttered.

Jasper scanned the room. “Uh, I know she has blonde hair, but she’s _got_ to be here,”

“Where exactly did you get your information from again?”

“I got one of her customers to spill, don’t worry so much about it,”

David sighed, biting his lip. “Let’s get her and just go. We’ll have to do it inconspicuously, though. If one criminal is here, there’s got to be more.”

“You worried about your boyfriend?”

David whipped his head around to face Jasper, but his expression was unreadable. “W-what? No, I, uh, what? Haha, I don’t, um…” he stuttered, his face burning.

“I’m joking, Davey, relax. At least I know why you’re so nervous,” Jasper said with a laugh.

David stared at him for a while, before forcing a weak laugh. He turned back to the room, frowning. “Let’s split up, we might be able to find her quicker,” Jasper suggested. David nodded, and the two walked in opposite directions.

Relaxing wasn’t something David was very good at. A few deep breaths later, and he was still anxious, still flustered. Why, he wasn’t sure.

The real question was whether he actually _wanted_ Daniel to be here. Maybe just as company, but he already had company. Jasper, a fellow cop, was here, and they both had a mission. But now David had his own mission: don’t think about Daniel.

David failed his mission almost immediately, because there was someone standing in the corner in a white suit, drinking a glass of wine, talking to a woman in a long dress, who looked exactly like him. And the closer he got, the more it looked like him, until it finally hit David that he was, in fact, staring at Daniel.

Heart pounding out of his chest, he spun around to go find Jasper. He stopped in his tracks, and turned around again. When he did, Daniel was right behind him, and he jumped.

“Hey, stranger,” Daniel said with a smile. He looked gorgeous. David’s throat tightened, and he just nodded. His eyes fell to the rose in his jacket, then back up those sky blue eyes.

Daniel tilted his head. “You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” The woman he was talking to walked up behind him and gazed at David over his shoulder. “Who’s this?”

“Oh! My apologizes, David, you remember Jen, right?” Daniel said, stepping aside. Jen inspected him up and down and smirked. “Nice to see you again, David,” she said, holding out her hand. David shook it.

“You, uh, you too. I thought, um, we thought you moved away.” David said, hesitant to make conversation.

Jen scoffed. “Please, I’ve been here the whole time. Living in this goddamned mansion, surrounded by people I hate. I’m living the dream.”

Daniel laughed, and David allowed a chuckle. Jen smiled, pleased, and turned to Daniel. “Now if you boys will excuse me, I have a party to host. Music starts in five,” she winked, and sauntered off.

The two stood in silence for a while. David stared at his feet, shifting his weight and biting his lip. Why did he turn back around? He could have gotten away without confrontation, but he felt the need to look back around. Why? He could have avoided this silence, this torture, if he wasn’t so _goddamned_ stupid.

“How on Earth did you manage to get in here?” Daniel asked with a playful smile.

David looked up. “Uh, I bought someone off?” He said.

Daniel chuckled. “Ah, so you’re here on a mission. I hope it’s not me you’re after,”

“What? N-no! We, uh, _I_ am here for a...a drug dealer.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow, but scoffed and shook his head. “Alright then. I hope you find him.”

“It’s, it’s actually a woman, believe it or not,”

“Oh, how interesting,”

“...I shouldn’t be sharing this with you, should I?”

“Probably not, no.”

They laughed, and David relaxed a little. “How did _you_ get in?” He asked.

“Invitation. Only, I didn’t have to buy my way in,” Daniel winked.

David laughed again. “At least I’m doing something that _requires_ buying my way into places. I’m doing something important.”

“Oh, I bet.”

“Like you would know!”

“I would, believe it or not.”

“Uh huh, like what?”

“Attending a party.”

“That’s not,” he paused to laugh, “that’s not important! Parties are for fun, I’m working.”

“Then have some fun. When was the last time you went to a party? As you, not as a cop, I mean,”

“I don’t know, three years ago? I’m not a party person. I barely know how to have fun in the first place,”

David was interrupted by the swelling of music that filled the room. He watched as people paired up and made their way to the middle of the room, dancing elegantly.

Daniel set his wine glass down, and scooped up David’s hand. “Then let me show you how,” he said, leading him to the dance floor. For some reason, David didn’t pull away, and he let himself be led.

“I, uh, I don’t know how to dance,” he murmured.

“Everyone knows how to dance,” Daniel replied, placing a hand on David’s waist and locking fingers with his other hand.

“I don’t even know how to do the Cupid Shuffle, Daniel,” David scoffed, awkwardly resting his hand on his shoulder.

“The instructions are in the lyrics of the song!” Daniel laughed.

“I know! That’s how bad I am!”

Daniel laughed harder, shaking his head. David couldn’t help but grin at him, he was so beautiful.

“Well, you seem to be better now,” Daniel smiled.

“You seem to cancel out my bad dancing, triple threat.”

David was thankful the music was loud enough to hide their laughter.

“There’s something I’ve wondered about for a while,” Daniel said.

“About what?” David asked.

“Whatever happened to Gwen? Where is she nowadays?”

A smile spread on David’s face, and he shrugged. “She moved as soon as she graduated. To California, I think. Haven’t heard from her since.”

“Ah. Good to see she got out of this damn town. She hated it here.”

“Yeah, lucky her.”

They were quiet for a moment, but it wasn’t awkward. It was almost enjoyable, how they could just have a nice conversation. They were catching up, and having a good time, and David couldn’t have been happier. He wished more of their conversations were like this…

“How did _you_ get out? Your dad said he’d never let you leave, if I remember correctly,” Daniel said.

“Oh, I uh,” David giggled to himself, “I left in the middle of the night. As soon as I was eighteen, I got the hell out of there.”

Daniel laughed. “No way! I thought you were a cop!”

David burst out laughing, shaking his head. “That was, like, five years ago! I’m pretty sure he moved, too. Probably to Alaska, somewhere cold.”

“Ah, a fitting place for a man with such a frozen heart.”

“Danny!” David released his hand from his shoulder to punch it, but he not as hard as he could have.

Daniel grinned. “Am I wrong?”

Sighing, David smiled. “No, I guess you’re not. I’m glad I got out of there, though. Now I understand why my mom left him. What I don’t understand is how she loved him in the first place,” he chuckled dryly, placing his hand back on Daniel’s shoulder and playing with his collar.

Daniel’s smile faded. “Sometimes, when people get what they think they want, they let their true colors show. Your parent married each other two months after they met, right? They called it an ‘impulse decision’, but…” he paused. And he didn’t continue.

David wanted to say something, while the topic was still in the air, but he was afraid that it might hint at something he didn’t even know he wanted. ‘What if that happens to us?’, was the question, but it wasn’t the right time to ask. Would they make the impulse decision to marry each other if they weren’t right for each other? Did he even want that? He didn’t know, and he wasn’t sure if he was willing to find out.

The music continued, and so did the silence. It seemed to happen a lot with them. They would start awkward, then things would look up, then they were laughing, then one of them would forget to speak, and then there was just silence, followed by one leaving. David hated that pattern, and wanted desperately to have a conversation that didn’t end that way. It was up to him, though, to revive the conversation if Daniel couldn’t.

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” David asked. Daniel stared at him, stunned, and David realized that might not be the best ice breaker.

“The worst thing I’ve ever done, huh? Well, I’d have to say leaving you might be the worst, but I'd like to think that's a given. How about you?” Daniel answered, now unfazed by the question.

“Um...I don’t, uh, maybe that time when I…uh—”

Daniel cut him off with a chuckle. “If you ask a question like that, you have to be prepared to be asked it in return,” he said. “It’s Human Interaction 101, love.”

For some reason, David smiled. “Okay then, let me try again. Are you happy with where you are now?”

“Not in the slightest. You?”

“I could be.”

Daniel raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean by that?”

“Human Interaction 102: be as vague as possible,” David smiled.

Daniel laughed. “You have a point. However—” David yelped as he was dipped, but the surprise faded quickly, and was replaced with absolute delight. “—I happen to be the best at being vague,” Daniel winked.

“Oh really?” David laughed.

“Try me,” he challenged.

“Alright then, what’s your biggest flaw?”

“All of them, you?”

“I’m bad at making decisions. What keeps you up at night?”

“Everything I’ve ever done. And you?”

“Everything I could have done. Who’s the one person you’d risk everything for?”

“You already know who. You?”

“I think you already know who. Your turn, ask me three questions.

Daniel smiled. “Alright, what’s your favorite color?”

“Sky blue. You?”

“Sea green. How do you judge someone?”

“Hm. How they treat others, I guess. You?”

“Their taste in music,” he paused while David laughed. “Last question. It’s a hard one.”

“I can take it,” David stated confidently.

“What’s something you know is wrong, but want anyways?”

David’s answer got caught in his throat. He searched Daniel’s eyes. Was it a trick question? How was he supposed to answer this? Did he even want to?

He cleared his throat and took a deep breath. “You don’t have to answer it of you don’t want to, David.” Daniel said softly. David shook his head. “No, I have to be prepared, right? So um… it’s—”

“David!” Jasper’s voice cut through the music, and David saw him on the other side of the dance floor.

He spun to Daniel. “You have to go! If Jasper sees you he’ll…” he said, pushing Daniel to the edge of the floor. “Please, I don’t, I can’t have you—”

Daniel cupped his face, shutting him up. “David, relax. I’ll be fine,” he soothed. Slowly, David calmed himself, and he nodded. “Next time we cross paths, be prepared to give me your answer,” Daniel smiled, brushing his cheeks with his thumbs.

Before Daniel could leave, David pulled him into a hug. He felt a kiss on his forehead, and he smiled. They parted, and with one last wave, Daniel was gone.

“David! I’ve been looking for you for ages! Who was that you were dancing with?” Jasper said.

David turned to him. “Oh, just...just some guy. Sort of a Cinderella situation, I guess,” he chuckled.

Jasper looked at him skeptically. “I couldn’t find her. And by the look of it, you haven’t even been searching.”

“What? I have, I just...that man said he came here with her! I was just getting information,” David said quickly.

“Well, what did he say?”

“He said that she, uh, that she already left. She hates dancing, so she left before it started.”

Jasper sighed. “Damn it. We were so close. Did he say anything else?”

“Uh, no.”

Jasper huffed, and frowned deeply. “Shit. Well, I guess there’s nothing else for us here. We can go.”

David perked up a little, and followed Jasper out. Halfway to the car, he glanced back, and saw Daniel leaning in the doorway, a calm smile on his face. He waved, and David smiled, waving back.

For some reason, he wanted to walk back there, walk up to Daniel and tell him his answer. He didn’t want to wait until next time, because he wasn’t sure when the next time was. A week, a month, tomorrow? He couldn’t wait, or the anticipation would keep him awake.

“Hold on, I forgot something,” David called back to Jasper. “Hurry up,” he said, “I want to get home. It’s midnight.”

David jogged up to Daniel, whose smile had turned curious. “Hello again,” he said.

“Do you still want my answer?” David asked.

“Straight to the point, are we? Alright, let me hear it. What’s something you want, but you know it’s wrong?”

“Remaining vague, I think you already know.”

Daniel grinned. “Ah. I see. My turn, I suppose?”

David nodded.

“Breaking from the social norms, my answer would be you.”

David was blushing, he could feel it, and he wasn’t sure why. It was the answer he was looking for; solid confirmation, but what was he supposed to do now? He got his confession, but he himself didn’t confess, for was it right to do what he wanted to do?

He wasn’t able to finish his thoughts, because Jasper had called him from the car. “Hurry up!”

David sighed, and looked back at Daniel. “Alright, Mr. ‘I’m The Best At Being Vague’, I think it’s time I break the norms, too. My _final_ answer: you.” David said.

Daniel smiled, but it was sad. “That’s what I thought you might say. So I’ll leave you with this;” and he kissed him, long enough for David to kiss him back. It was so good, just like it always is, and David couldn’t help but smile. So wrong, but so good. And he wanted it so much.

The honk of Jasper’s car pulled them apart. “And we’ll be on our way,” Daniel whispered. He gave him a wink, and walked back inside the mansion.

David stood in the entrance for a bit, soaking in the moment. What he wanted, he almost got. What did this mean? Were they a thing now? It didn’t feel like it. Could they ever be? Maybe, but it wasn’t likely. He walked back to Jasper’s car and slid into the passenger's seat.

Jasper looked up from the papers he was filling out. “What took you so long?” he asked. David was busy staring at the doors to the mansion, hoping that Daniel would come back out to see him off. No one was there, though. Jasper frowned, but he didn’t really care either way. He failed the mission, and he just wanted to get home. He started the car, and drove away from the mansion, leaving it in the rear view mirror.

David looked through it, but there was no one. No one in the doorway, that is. He glanced up, and there he was, on the balcony, a rose in his hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is late! Believe it or not, I wrote four different versions of this chapter. I am not a good writer. That's why this took so long ;-;  
> Shout out to those who saw the third version of this chapter before I deleted it. I'm sorry you had to see that, but I wasn't happy with it. This one, however, I like. I hope you like it as much as I do, and if you don't, let me know.


	12. Pathetic Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mirrors, a promise, a pile of old movies, and an unanswered question.

As narcissistic as he acted, Daniel didn’t like mirrors.

The only mirror he owned was the one above his bathroom sink, the rest were either removed or covered up with a sheet. But, even so, sometimes he’d catch himself staring into the mirror. It would take a few minutes for him to snap out of it, and eventually he would just walk away, but he still acknowledged it, almost in disgust.

The reason Daniel despised mirrors was not because of their reflective surface itself, or the strange science behind it, no, it was himself. Growing up, the Mora’s had mirrors scattered throughout the house; one in the hallway, one on the stairs, one in the living room, one in every bedroom, it never ended. Daniel was always looking at himself at one point or another, and at the time he didn’t mind it as much.

Now, though, things were different. Daniel was ashamed of the man he had become, ignoring the circumstances that led him there. He had done things he looked back on with deep regret, things that filled him with rage and sorrow, things he couldn’t take back, no matter how hard he tried.

A strange daydream he had was of a mirror that showed your true reflection. You’d look into it, and your reflection would change, depending on what kind of person you were. If you were good, your eyes would be bright and happy, your smile warm and caring. If you were bad, your reflection wouldn’t change. That was his fear, with this imaginary mirror; that he would stay the same.

So, given that thought, he chose to avoid mirrors altogether, fearing that he’d look into it and see the broken man he knew he was.

Staring into his own blue eyes, his thoughts drifted to last night, at the party. It wasn’t much of a party; just an excuse for Jen to dress up and show off. Daniel didn’t really mind, however. Jen may be a selfish prick, but she had somewhat of a heart. God forbid she ever show it.

He thought about the lights, the music, the...dancing. It felt almost wrong to remember what he did, even if it wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing. David was there, in a cute tuxedo that looked a little too big for him. At first he said he was alone, on a mission to find a drug dealer, but it was revealed he had arrived with someone, a ‘Jasper’. Besides that, it was a relatively enjoyable night. They danced, they laughed, they asked.

Daniel felt almost ashamed of his last question. He was practically _begging_ for the answer, begging for David to say what he wanted him to say. And he did, and they kissed.

The obvious argument was if it was the right thing to do. Daniel was well aware that David was overwhelmed and conflicted already, considering their last exchange. He wasn’t fazed, however, and it almost seemed like he was looking forward to it. Did he forget about it, or was he choosing to ignore it for the sake of a relationship? If he was, he wasn’t making it clear enough for Daniel, intelligent as he was. The way they acted, they might as well be a couple. Hopefully Jasper didn’t see too much.

Jen had convinced him to do something bold, a sign for David to show that he was willing to be with him, despite the inevitable consequences. Unfortunately, neither of them expected David to be present at the party, so Daniel wasn’t prepared in the slightest. It was frustrating. He was right there, within arms reach, and he didn’t get the chance to take that step forward.

Then, Jen came to the rescue. She offered to give him what he needed to give him, to deliver the note. Daniel didn’t need details, he just needed it done. Jen returned, and a weight was lifted. He didn’t sleep that night, anxiously staring at his phone in anticipation.

Of all the things Daniel could have given David, his phone number seemed the least romantic. But Jen, the expert at love that she claimed to be, told him it was a good step, the right step. So he took the risk.

And it payed off. At exactly 3:04 AM, Daniel’s phone chimed, the screen lighting up his face in the darkened room. The text was exactly what he expected it to be, a simple “ _hey_ ” and nothing more. He replied the same; “ _hey_ ”. Boring, to say the least, but it was a start.

_“i didnt think youd be up so late.”_

Daniel chuckled a bit. _“Me neither.”_

_“this is daniel, right?”_

_“It is.”_

_“good”_

The conversation seemed to end there, but David sent another text;

_“gosh, we suck at this dont we?”_

Sitting up, Daniel laughed. _“I don’t think that’s much of a surprise.”_

There was more silence. Daniel waited patiently.

_“so. what does this make us exactly? are we…yknow...”_

_“It depends. What do you want it to be?”_

_“...i dont know. like we said, its wrong…”_

_“So we’ll hold off, I suppose. Or dismiss it altogether.”_

_“like, ignore each other? can we even do that?”_

Any reply Daniel had disappeared, and he sat in thought for a moment. _“Maybe.”_ was his vague response, and he didn’t like it. David didn’t seem to like it either.

_“hm”_

Five minutes passed, with no other response at all. Daniel was afraid that he fucked up, but David broke the figurative silence.

_“do u prefer dogs or cats?”_

A smile spread on his face and he typed out a reply. _“I like both, but I use to own a cat.”_

_“What was its name?”_

_“Rose.”_

_“thats adorable.”_

_“She sucked. Absolutely hated everyone. She slept on my face.”_

_“no way! thats even better!!!!”_

Daniel laughed and shook his head. _“How about you? Dogs or cats?”_

_“dogs, obviously. cats are cool, tho. i think id like birds..”_

_“Birds are a lot of work.”_

_“i didnt say id actually get one u dork. im just thinkin out loud”_

_“Ah, but you texted it to me.”_

_“shut up”_

_“Okay then, what are you the most insecure about?”_

_“hm. probably everything. u?”_

_“Not much.”_

_“vague answers arent acceptable here, danny”_

_“Next question.”_

_“T-T”_

_“Cry me a river, pretty boy. Don’t make me pick out a question for you.”_

_“alright alright. whats your spirit animal?”_

_“Am I supposed to have one? What does that even mean?”_

_“its just...what animal do you relate the most to, kinda”_

_“I see. A moth, perhaps?”_

_“EW! moths are gross..”_

_“Yeah. How about you?”_

_“i think a horse mayeb? idk”_

_“An interesting choice. What’s your biggest fear?”_

The rest of the morning, the two went back and forth with whatever questions they could come up with. Sometimes silly, sometimes serious, sometimes in between. It was entertaining, and Daniel felt like he got something out of it.

With the conversation dulling down, Daniel typed out a goodbye text. David texted him before he could send it, though, and Daniel held his breath.

_“when can i see u again? if you think we should, i mean”_

_“If_ you _want to, I’m free tomorrow. Or today, I should say.”_ Daniel glanced at the time and frowned. It was almost five in the morning.

_“i can do that”_

_“I’ll text you the details later. Get some sleep.”_

_“ok. love u”_

Daniel felt a blush bloom over his cheeks, and he scoffed. He set his phone down, and laid back on his bed. Was this really happening? Were they even considering it? In due time, he thought, maybe one of them will make up their minds about this.

Eventually he let himself sleep, going over tonight's events in his head. He filed it as a good day, one in a few, and made a mental reminder to clear today’s schedule.

* * *

Sun beamed down through the small window high on the wall, directly into Daniel’s eyes. He groaned and rolled over, already annoyed. Even so, he muttered a swear and got up.

A knock drew his eyes to the door, and Jen swung it open before he could even say ‘come in’.

“Jesus. You look like you need a cigarette,” she said, glancing over his distraught figure.

“Cigarettes are fucking disgusting. Let me get ready first,” Daniel replied as he stood up.

Jen shut the door behind her and sent a few texts while she waited for Daniel to finish. When he appeared from the bathroom in fresh clothes and wet hair, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes.

“So. How’d it go? Did he text you?” She asked, taking two cigarettes and lighting them.

Daniel sighed and took one from her. “He did.”

“Any news?”

“Not exactly,” he took a drag and made an exasperated face. “I think we have a date.”

“No shit! See, I told you it was possible!”

He scoffed. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Jen. Nothing’s set in stone yet.”

“Where are you taking him?”

“I haven’t decided.”

“You’re not going to ghost him, are you?”

“Of course not, I’m not heartless.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Then beg.”

Jen laughed, coughing up some smoke. “ _Shit._ ”

Daniel glanced away, snickering, and Jen punched him. “Not funny, dickwad, I could have died,” she frowned.

“If you were able to die, you’d be six feet under already.”

She laughed, and the two finished their cigarettes. Today could be terrible, or it could be perfect. Daniel wasn’t excited for either possibility.

 

The morning dragged on, as it always does, but it gave Daniel some time to think about where he wanted the ‘date’ to take place, if he could even call it that. He came to the conclusion that it would have to be later in the day, so as to ensure David wouldn’t have to miss work. He asked him when his shift ended over text, and planned his day around then.

Soon, Date Time rolled around, and Daniel was still hesitant. This could be a trap, maybe? Would David do that? It didn’t seem like it, so he dismissed the thought. Of course, there was another thought; that this was inevitably going to end in disaster, despite his best efforts.

Brushing off the rest of his negative thoughts, Daniel grabbed his wallet and phone. He eyed his gun for a moment, and took it; just as a precaution. For what, he didn’t care. He felt like shooting something, anyway.

Of course, on his way through the base, a few people stopped him.

“Hey, where’s Campbell?” one asked.

“He said something about Fargo, I don’t know,” Daniel sighed.

“Like, North Dakota?”

“Sure. I have somewhere to be, if you don’t mind.”

He made it to the door without any farther confrontation, waved off the guards, and headed to his destination.

The fastest way there was through an alley notorious for its criminal activity. These people weren’t under Daniel’s control either, so he was all the more nervous about his trek. For the most part, he didn’t really mind; it was just annoying. He could easily take out anyone who wanted to mess with him, but he had better things to do.

It was almost a relief when he entered the alley and saw that they were busy with someone already, but that relief vanished as he got closer. Three rough-looking men were surrounding another man, and as fate would have it, Daniel recognized that red hair and green eyes.

“It’s not funny, guys,” David said, his voice soaked in annoyance.

“Not meant to be. Money, now,” one of the muggers barked.

Daniel sighed. It was pitiful, really. “How about you just get a fucking job?” He spoke, walking closer.

The muggers spun around and aimed their guns at Daniel. “Watch it, bud,” one of them warned. The warning went unheard, as Daniel aimed his gun and shot him between the eyes.

“You guys are so pathetic,” Daniel said. “He’s a cop, dumbasses.” He shot the other two without any hesitation. “And yet, he doesn’t have a gun,” he looked at David with somewhat of a smirk.

Any hint of a smile faded at the look on David’s face. Shock, fear, wide eyes and shaking hands. Daniel frowned, and tucked his gun away. “Are you okay?” He asked. David nodded, but he didn’t look at him.

“You...you didn’t have to kill them, Daniel,” David said, his voice barely a whisper.

Daniel scoffed. “Those guys are unpredictable, David. Letting them live would be a mistake of there ever was one. Not only to people who walk through here, but to you. You have to think about the bigger picture. One life for the lives of many,” Daniel explained, almost bitterly.

“Fairly optimistic for someone who just killed three men like it was nothing,” David spat.

“Fairly ironic that a criminal is doing a cop’s job better than a fucking _cop_ ,” he snapped.

David huffed, and shook his head. “Why does this always happen? Every time you show the slightest hint of human decency you cap it by doing something completely despicable. Are you even _trying_ to be a good person, or did you just accept that it’s something you just can’t bring yourself to do?”

Thick, heavy air lay still between them. Of course, David was right. It seemed to be a sick habit, fucking up when they were about to get somewhere. Instinct told Daniel to kill anyone who was in his way, and more specifically killing anyone who tried to hurt David. In the process, though, David still ended up hurt.

Maybe he thought it was fun, playing with David’s emotions like this. His expressions were hilarious, but it was a cruel thought. There was blood on his shoes, and neither of them liked it.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know how else to stop them,” Daniel said, and he wasn’t lying. He was taught that the only way to get his point across and have it stick is to kill someone; anyone. To get what he wanted, he’d have to kill. So he did it, and it never failed.

David’s harsh expression faded a bit, and he sighed. “You have to stop doing that. You can’t just murder people without a good reason.”

“I _had_ a good reason, though. They were hurting you.”

“It’s not a good _enough_ reason; their death wasn’t necessary.”

“They would have just kept hurting people.”

“I know, but that’s why we have police to arrest them.”

Daniel wanted to revise his point; that he did David’s job more efficiently, but he was tired of arguing. “Alright. Alright, fine. You’re not going to arrest _me_ now, are you?”

Half a smile twitched on David’s lips. “I think I’ll hold off on that for a while, if you can prove you’re worthy,” he teased.

“Worthy of what?” Daniel chuckled.

“Of being free, dummy. Are we going to do this ‘date’ thing or what?”

It seemed suspicious that David was over Daniel’s massacre so quickly, but out of the corner of his eyes, he saw David glance back at the bodies, and he didn’t look like he was over it. It was a mistake—granted, not a fixable one—but one he could learn from.

Next chance he got, no matter the circumstance, Daniel would avoid killing to get his way. He repeated this promise to David, and he seemed relieved.

“Promise?” David asked.

“Of course. This isn’t something I want to take lightly. If it’s important to you, it’s important to me,” Daniel replied, absolutely pleased at David’s flushed face.

“You shouldn’t apply that to _everything_ , Danny. You’re allowed to be your own person.”

“Ah, still think dogs should vote, hm?”

David burst out laughing, burying his face in Daniel’s shoulder. “That’s not what I mean!” He said through giggles.

“I’m not hearing a ‘no’...”

David covered his mouth in an attempt to muffle his giggles. “You _dork_ , dogs don’t have hands.”

“And you think _that’s_ the only thing keeping them from voting?”

“ _Ugh!_ Danny, you’re so,” he grabbed Daniel’s face and kissed him, still laughing.

Needless to say, Daniel was a bit stunned; they were in the middle of the sidewalk at seven in the afternoon. Not an ideal spot for this, but Daniel wasn’t complaining.

David pulled away, almost pouting but fighting a smile. “You’re going to give me a heart attack if you keep making me laugh like that,” he murmured.

Daniel scoffed. “Think that’s going to stop me? Darling, I’ll make you laugh until the world ends.”

The pout grew into a grin, and David shook his head. “You’re stupid.”

“I know. You ready to get going now?”

“Depends on where you’re taking me.”

“Ah! That’s a secret.”

“Is it—”

“If you try to guess the date’s cancelled.”

David snorted. “What? Is that a threat, Daniel Lafayette?”

“Might be. Why, are you scared, David Orchard?”

“Might be.”

“Well be prepared to forget your fears, because I’m about to sweep you off your feet.”

“Oh, really? Alright, show me what you got.”

* * *

The first place Daniel took David was The Golden Hippo. A reminder of previous dates the two had been on, and Daniel discovered that David hadn’t abandoned his love of ranting about random things. It was nostalgic, and almost hard to process. They paid, left, and were on their way.

The second place held no nostalgia for the two, and David seemed a bit confused. It was a movie store. Daniel explained that he ran out of ideas for the evening, so he suggested they just watch random movies together. David, to Daniel’s surprise, loved the idea, and practically ran into the store.

They picked out three movies; _Napoleon Dynamite, The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,_ and _West Side Story_.

“Can we watch all of these in one night?” David murmured.

“If we watch them fast enough, yes,” Daniel replied.

“That’s…” David snorted, “that’s not how movies work, Danny.”

“They can if we bend the rules of time.”

David almost dropped the movies from laughing too hard.

 

Thankfully, David’s roommate had either already went to bed or was out doing “God knows what”. Daniel was almost afraid to ask what that meant.

David suggested they watch _West Side Story_ first, the reasoning behind it being that he starred in their school’s production of _West Side Story_. Daniel didn’t even think about arguing; the movie was already playing.

They settled on the couch, lights off and wine out. For the first half of the movie, the two sat on opposite sides of the couch, but somehow David ended up sitting between Daniel’s legs, with the blond’s arms wrapped around his stomach and his chin resting on his shoulder.

“I just remembered, you never told me what happened. Such a random thought, but, are you gonna tell me?” David whispered, turning his head slightly.

“Hush, love,” Daniel muttered. It was obvious to him that this was no ‘random thought’, but something that had been bugging David for a long time. What stumped him was why he was bringing it up now, of all times.

David hummed, disappointed, and returned his gaze to the movie. “Will you tell me after?”

“Maybe if you’re quiet. You were the one who picked out this movie, you might want to pay attention.”

A huff escaped David’s lips, but he remained silent for the rest of the film. By the time the credits played, David had fallen asleep. Daniel blinked every now and then to keep himself awake, but he was so tired. This might have been the most stressful week he’d had ever been through. Sleep wasn’t something he got often, and it was a relief to feel tired enough to.

So, for his own sake, he closed his eyes, and drifted off to sleep, deserving or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, sorry for the wait. Again , not the best writer. if things get confusing, let me know and ill do my best to make it make more understandable.  
> also i cant believe i wrote 12 chapters of complete bullshit. and im not fucking stopping fuc k


	13. The Turning Point

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Good things come to those who wait.

It started innocently enough, soft kisses on the neck and quiet giggles. The transition wasn’t quick; it took a few moments for him to quite grasp what was happening. When he figured it out, he didn’t put a stop to it. Not because he was submissive, but because he wanted it, as disgusting as that sounded to him. A suggestion, and they were in the bedroom. He was nervous—they both were—but it didn’t dull the moment. It was asked multiple times if he was sure about this, and he always said yes. So they continued. Hands and lips wandered everywhere, and it was thrilling and almost overwhelming. They traded whispered confessions, flustered and close, stupid words and muffled moans.

And then David woke up.

It wasn’t something new, dreams like this, but he wasn’t entirely sure it was a dream to begin with. The ache he felt was pretty damn real, but he knew he wouldn’t let it happen if he didn’t really want it.

Right?

David shook his head, and sat up. His fear was realized when he noticed that he was, in fact, in his bed and not wearing any clothes. Dressing quickly, he speed-walked out of his room and shut the door behind him.

Surely, he thought, _Daniel_ wouldn’t let it happen. Even if David himself didn’t know he’d regret something like that, _Daniel_ would know, right? He wouldn’t do that to him. Daniel wouldn’t do something like that to him, right?

That is, if it even _did_ happen.

He remembered that they had a bottle of wine out, but they only had one glass each. And he remembered that, if it wasn’t a dream, he did tell Daniel that he was sure. Even so, it David felt it would almost be better if it was a drunken decision.

Thankfully, the knock at the door allowed him to think about anything else. He was getting dizzy. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when he opened the door to see Jasper. Jasper, however, looked a bit concerned.

“Uh, hey Davey. I just came to check on you, you didn’t show up to work,” he said.

“O-oh! Sorry, my, uh, alarm didn’t go off,” David said, forcing a weak smile.

Jasper was quiet for a moment. “I...hate to ask this...but is that a hickey?”

David’s smile dropped, and his hand flew to his neck, heart pounding furiously. “What? N-no! It’s uh...it’s a spider bite?”

Jasper gave him a skeptical look. “Who’s in there with you?”

“No one! It’s just me and Kevin!” He assured.

There was a crash in the kitchen, followed by a loud curse.

“That must be him! I’ll see you in about twenty minutes!” David waved and shut the door before Jasper could comment on anything else.

This time, David allowed a sigh of relief. He put on his most convincing ‘I’m mad and it’s your fault’ face and marched to the kitchen.

“ _SHIT_.” Another crash followed, and David walked in to see Kevin on the floor surrounded by saucepans. He almost cracked a smile, but held his frown.

“Where’s Daniel?” David demanded.

“Who?” Kevin muttered, scratching his head.

“ _Daniel_. Blond, blue eyes, the only other person who’s been in this apartment since last night? Come on, he couldn’t have just...left.”

Kevin stared up at him curiously. “You sound disappointed.”

“Why would I be _disappointed_?” David scoffed.

“I heard you guys last night.”

David sighed, ignoring the heat in his face. “That didn’t happen. He wouldn’t let it.”

“I think you’re missing the point, Dave. You consented, right?”

“I...I regret it now, okay? It…” he sighed again, wrapping his arms around himself. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It was just childish relationship.”

“Doesn’t seem like it was.”

David was quiet, staring at the floor. “Figures he’d leave after that. I don’t know what I was thinking,” he chuckled dryly. He turned around, past the living room, past the pile of movies, and out the door.

Instead of going to work, he went to the roof of the building, hoping to just stand in the sunlight and soak while he thought. But, to his surprise, there was already someone up there.

Who else, but Daniel, his folded arms resting on the railing and his back to the entrance. When he heard the door close, he turned around, a dull expression on his face. He walked over to David, his hands in his pockets.

“Evening, David,” he said.

“It’s the afternoon,” David replied bitterly.

“It’s a greeting, David, no need to be so hostile.”

There was a silence between them. David’s anger was building in his chest, and if he didn’t let it out he might start crying. But he just stared, in disbelief at the man who betrayed him, intentional or not.

“How _could_ you?” David whispered, his voice cracking.

Daniel’s frown deepened, and he sighed. “I asked you, David. Every time I asked, you agreed.”

“But you should have known I wouldn’t be okay with this!”

“ _I_ should have known? So _I’m_ responsible for your actions? How does that make any sense?”

“It wasn’t just _me_ , you—” he paused to choke back a sob, “we weren’t supposed to be doing this in the first place.”

“And whose fault is that?”

“I don’t know! You’re the one who turned into a goddamn murderer! And I still don’t know _why_!”

“Maybe it’s better that way, if we aren’t going through with this. If you knew it was wrong, why did you do it, David? You’re at fault just as much as I am.”

“At least I’m trying to be a good person!”

“That has _nothing_ to do with this conversation and you know it.”

David groaned in frustration and pushed past Daniel to get to the edge of the roof.

“Where are you going?” Daniel called.

The afternoon sun was bright and the sky was clear; a perfect day. There was a slight breeze that brushed against David’s skin, but none of this did anything to calm him.

He expected Daniel to walk away, go back to wherever the hell he lived, and cut David out of his life forever. But he stood next to him, leaning over the railing to see the ground below.

“I don’t want to fight with you, Daniel. I just...things haven’t been good for the past couple years. I lost everything when you disappeared. And when you came back, I thought everything would get so much better,” he held his breath, “but it didn’t. Somehow, you being here is even worse than you being gone. But I know that if you leave again, I might not be able to take it.”

He turned his head to Daniel. “I’m sorry if I overreacted. My first time, you know? I didn’t think it would happen so soon. Or, so late, I guess.” He was quiet for a moment, looking back at the view. “I don’t know why I’m even upset. It was...everything I wanted it to be, as unfamiliar with it as I am. And I’m glad it got to be with you, of all people.”

Daniel smiled sadly. “You know it’s wrong to do this anyway, right? Much less having any sort of sexual relationships with a convict; your coworkers would be appalled if they found out.” He directed his gaze to the sky, staring at nothing in particular. “You didn’t overreact, love. I would be surprised if you _weren’t_ upset. It’s such a big step in a relationship we shouldn’t even have.”

He rested his cheek in his hand. “There’s nothing we can do about it, unfortunately. We either do it, or we don’t. Doing this means you’d have to go against your better judgement and your vow as a police officer. Not doing this means you might fall apart, it seems.”

A faint smile graced his lips, and he turned to David. “Also, if we decide to end this, you’ll have to arrest me. Not looking forward to that.”

David chuckled. “I don’t think I’d be able to do that anyway.”

“You might not have a choice.”

For a moment, they examined the world in comfortable silence, thankful that their fight was over.

“I’m not...a good man, David. I know that. However, I think our problem is we keep finding each other in random places. I continue looking for you, and whether you realize it or not, you continue looking for me.”

“What are we supposed to do, then? Just walk away? Pretend _this_ didn’t happen?”

“If I’m honest, I don’t think we can. Your first time is not really something you can forget. As for what we are supposed to do, I don’t have an answer. This wouldn’t be an issue if not for me being a wandering criminal.”

“It wouldn’t be a problem if you didn’t become one in the first place,” David stopped himself, and frowned. He smacked his hand on the railing, and Daniel jumped a bit. “God damn it, Daniel! Are you going to tell me what fucking happened or what?” He turned to him. “If we are going to do this, you can’t just leave me in the dark or give me vague answers. Just... _tell me._ ”

Daniel looked at him wistfully, and sighed. “You are terribly determined, aren’t you? I admire the fact that you don’t like being uninformed, but I’m afraid I am unable to disclose that so-desired information.”

“Don’t you _dare_ try to confuse me with your _stupid_ words, Daniel Lafayette,” David said, sticking a finger in his direction.

Daniel laughed, and straightened himself. “Sorry, sorry. Your reactions are so funny. Can’t help myself.”

David glared at him. Daniel just tilted his head, smirking with those _stupid_ half-lidded eyes, and David felt his anger melt away. “Just...promise you’ll tell me? If doesn’t...it doesn’t have to be now, but sometime in the future. Near-future, preferably,” he said, tugging on Daniel’s tie.

“I promise. If you’re so content on trying to make this work, I promise I’ll tell you someday,” Daniel assured, cupping his face. David tried to fight a smile by biting his lip, but eventually gave up, and he chuckled. “So I guess we’re doing this, huh?”

“And all it took was one night of movies and sex to seal the deal,” Daniel joked. David gasped and smacked his shoulder. The blond laughed, cupping David’s bright red face again. “You’re too easy, darling.”

“Shut _up_ ,” David muttered. Daniel laughed, and kissed his forehead. “Gladly. Now, don’t you have to go to work? That Jasper fellow must be—”

As if on cue, the doors to the roof swung open, and there stood Jasper. It took a few moments for him to process what was happening, but as soon as he did, he reached for the gun on his waist.

“Ah, speak of the devil,” Daniel said, and his hands fell to David’s shoulders. He looked to the redhead, but he was frozen, his grip on Daniel’s arm tightening and his breath quickening. He frowned and glanced up at Jasper, who was moving steadily their way.

“David, walk away slowly,” Jasper told him. David didn’t move towards Jasper, and instead stepped closer to Daniel, who was just as surprised as him.

“What are you doing, David?” Daniel whispered. He didn’t get an answer. With a sigh, he pressed a kiss to his cheek and backed away, slowly raising his hands. “This is incredibly ridiculous,” he muttered under his breath.

“What, that you got caught finally? I’d say it’s more relieving than ridiculous, Lafayette,” Jasper hissed, grabbing David’s arm and pulling him to his side.

Daniel tossed a glance to David, who’s eyes were wide and watery, his breath hitched. He mouthed something; “don’t kill him”, permission to defend himself. He nodded covertly, and in one swift motion knocked the gun out of Jasper’s hands. A kick, and Jasper was dazed and on the ground.

Without even thinking about it, Daniel grabbed the gun and aimed it between Jasper’s blue eyes, finger on the trigger. What stopped him were a familiar pair of arms that were suddenly around him. He could feel him shaking. David was scared that the man he loved was about to kill his best friend.  

“...David, I can’t just let him go. He knows—”

“You promised,” David spoke, his voice cracking.

Daniel sighed, and lowered the gun, and Jasper relaxed a bit. Then, there was a _whack_ , and Jasper fell to the ground, unconscious.

David allowed himself to breathe, slowly releasing Daniel as he went to check on Jasper. Once he made sure he was okay, he threw his arms around Daniel’s neck and kissed him. Daniel stumbled, confused, but kissed him back nonetheless.

David pulled away. “Thank you, Danny,” he whispered.

Daniel smiled lopsidedly, and kissed him sweetly. “Don’t mention it, love. What are we going to do with him?”

They turned back to Jasper, and David hummed, frowning. “I guess we could leave him up here…”

“He saw us, David. He’s going to say something about it to someone eventually.”

“Not if I can talk some sense into him first.”

“Sense? Darling, this doesn’t make _any_ sense. That’s why we—” he was cut off by David kissing him again, and he grinned.

“Can you shut up about this now? We already said we were doing it; let’s stop talking about why we shouldn’t and just enjoy it for now, hm?” David murmured.

Daniel stared at him for a moment, shocked, and then he chuckled. “Alright, you have a point. I won’t bring it up anymore.”

“Promise?”

Daniel burst out laughing, covering his face with his hand. “You’re forcing me to make a lot of promises lately, love,” he said.

“Your point?”

“It might not be healthy; a relationship built on breakable promises.”

“Well, then don’t break them. Easy as that.”

Daniel sighed, smiling, and kissed David’s cheek. “Whatever you say, love. You should get to work. If you take Jasper with you, you can convince him that it was a dream.”

David perked up. “Oh, that actually gave me an idea! Help me get him inside.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> They fucked! but you're just going to have to use your imagination bc I refuse to write sex scenes. maybe one day tho...  
> sorry this is a week late, i have no excuse. it's one am.


	14. Simple Romance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper learns the truth.

As soon as Jasper got back to the precinct, he went through all the files containing information about a Daniel Lafayette. Seeing how distraught David was when he walked out of that bank made him furious, and he vowed to find this man and make sure he could never hurt his friend ever again.

About two weeks later, Jasper thought he saw him at the party at the Richardson mansion. Jasper had absentmindedly called out David’s name, and the man was gone before he could get a closer look. The vague but dreamy way David talked about him lead Jasper to believe it was Lafayette, but he would need more solid evidence.

Jasper knew what he looked like from his file, he knew his crimes and was all the more determined to put this bastard in jail. However, he was also aware that Lafayette and David had history. Intimate history. History that would only make it harder for him to be caught, because Jasper knew that if they were a couple again, David would do anything to protect him. So he had to arrest him while David was still conflicted about it.

When he arrived on the roof of David’s apartment building, he knew he was too late. Lafayette’s hands were cupping David’s face, then fell to his shoulders, his expression unfazed. David looked horrified. That was all the proof he needed to confirm that they were together again, and Jasper wasn’t happy.

Their fight was only further evidence, as David had somehow stopped that maniac from putting a bullet in his skull. Then, with a sharp pain in his head, everything went black. Now, Jasper was coming to.

“Are you sure? I could just wait on the fire escape until he leaves,” a voice said softly.

“No, no, he might want to search the apartment for you, I don’t want him to find you,” another voice; David’s voice, replied.

“Alright. I’ll be around. Call me if you need anything.”

“Don’t forget, we still have two movies left to watch,”

“After where it led to last time? We might have to save those for another afternoon, love.”

David laughed, but it was cut short. Jasper presumed it was either by a kiss, or by David’s hands covering his mouth to prevent waking up Jasper.

Faint smacking, followed by a muttered “sorry” convinced Jasper that it was a kiss, and he was fuming.

There was silence for a moment. “Are you okay? You look...discontent,” the other voice—who he assumed at this point to be Lafayette—asked in a hushed tone.

David chuckled dryly. “Discontent? Danny, I’ve never been _more_ content. I just...I can’t believe we’re really doing this. After how long we kind of...fought it off, it’s just here now.”

“I think it’s always been there. We just, like you said, were fighting it off, because we knew it was wrong. It’s not too late to change your mind; I won’t be mad.”

“I know that. But,” David sighed, “now that it’s happening, I couldn’t be any happier.”

David was quiet for a moment, and Jasper assumed they were kissing again, but then David said;

“I love you.”

And Jasper’s resolve crumbled before him. The sincerity in his voice, it didn't crack or stumble; it was a statement, a declaration. David was in love again.

“I love you, too,” Lafayette said. Whether or not if was as sincere as David’s confession, Jasper couldn’t tell. David seemed satisfied at least, for he heard him giggle.

Then, footsteps, the door opening, a pause, then closing proceeded it all, giving Jasper enough time to regain his composure.

He heard David sigh and walk over to where Jasper was laying down. Jasper waited for a minute before pretending to come to. To add effect, he groaned as he sat up, holding his head in his hand. He found, though, that it actually _did_ hurt, which only added to the realism he was trying to enforce.

“Jasper! I’m so glad you’re awake!” David said, scooting the ottoman closer to him.

“What...what happened?” Jasper asked convincingly.

“What do you remember?”

Jasper almost huffed in frustration. David was a damn good interrogator, and now really wasn’t the best time. He wanted David to tell the story first, to point out flaws and to get him to break, but now…

“Well, I remember coming here to check on you…and seeing a hickey on your neck, I think…”

David’s face flushed red, and he bit his lip. “Uh, it was a spider bite, but go on,” he said.

Jasper frowned. The reaction was expected, but the words weren’t. Still, he continued. “Then you shut the door, I decided to wait on the stairs...and then I heard you talking to Kevin. You went to the roof, and I followed you. I heard you arguing with someone. Then I walked out, and I saw you with that Lafayette guy, the one from the bank,” and Jasper waited.

“What? Y-you, uh, that wasn’t...that was someone else! Yeah, that was my...blind date…” David tried to explain.

“Your blind date looked exactly like a criminal who you admitted you knew? David, what’s going on here? Are you two a thing again?”

David stared at him for a moment, and glanced at the door behind him. “You sure you didn’t...uh, dream it? You have quite the imagination when it comes to...uh, romance?” He squeaked, standing up and rubbing his neck nervously.

“David, what is going on?” Jasper pushed.

“I can’t...nothing is happening. It wasn’t him, I...I promise.”

Jasper frowned. By deciding to keep it a secret, David was withholding useful information. He could know where Lafayette’s base is, were Campbell is, but this relationship was holding him back. But, he sounded so happy when he was talking to him earlier. He sounded hopeful. David never had a lot of hope.

Now it was Jasper’s turn to decide; good cop, or good friend?

“Davey, it’s okay. I won’t arrest him,” Jasper soothed. He wasn’t sure if he was lying yet, but it was a start.

Jasper stood, and David backed up a bit, eyes wide and breath uneven. “You...what? Why not?”

“How much does he mean to you?”

David stared at him for a while, then swallowed. “I love him, Jasper.”

Jasper offered a smile. “If he means that much to you, and you trust him completely, I won’t arrest him, and I’ll keep your secret.”

David held his breath. This could be a trick. A scheme to get all the information about Campbell or Daniel out of him that could possibly be told, and then Jason would have him fired. Or worse, jailed.

It was a saddening thought; to not trust Jasper immediately. The two had been through so much together. They were best friends, and David couldn't have asked for anything more.

But it was a choice, in the end. Jasper couldn’t feel what he felt for Daniel. He wouldn’t understand. He’d just see a lovesick, manipulated man who was head over heels for a past lover turned criminal. To Jasper, Daniel was nothing more than that; a criminal.

Still, he said, “really?” It was like he hadn’t confirmed that that was what he wanted to say, but his mouth was already saying it.

Jasper nodded. “Of course, Davey. You’re my best friend, I’d do anything for you, even if it means risking my job.”

David wasn’t convinced, and it seemed to bother Jasper. “Look, Davey, I don’t know Lafayette. I don’t trust him. All I know is that he’s killed a lot of people and stolen a lot more than lives. I don’t think he’s a good person. But the way you protected him, the way you talk to him, it’s obvious that you really love him. You also saved my ass, so this is kind of payback for that,” he said.

David chuckled, slowly relaxing. “You...you promise? You won’t tell anyone?”

Jasper grinned. “I promise. And now we’re even.”

They laughed, and all the tension in the room was gone. Jasper offered a hug, and David graciously accepted it. “Thank you, Jasper…” he murmured.

“You’re welcome, Davey,” Jasper said.

 

A while after Jasper left, David started getting ready for work. He was a little disappointed that Daniel had actually left, but that’s what he asked him to do.

David did, however, find Daniel’s phone on his bed, with a few missed calls from Jen. It took a bit to remember who Jen was, but he was cut short when the phone rang again. He picked it up.

“Daniel! Jesus, where have you been?” Jen demanded.

“Uh, sorry Jen, Daniel left his phone at my apartment, this is David,” David explained.

“Ugh, typical. You guys fucked, didn’t you?”

David, flustered, forced a laugh. “Well, you don’t have to say it like that…”

“Oh GOD I was kidding. No fucking way. Are you an item now?”

“What, he didn’t text you immediately after it happened?”

“Daniel doesn’t do that shit and you know it. I’m pretty sure he was saving the juicy details until he got back to the base. Speaking of which, let me send you the address and you can drop it off.”

“O-oh, are you sure Daniel would be okay with that? What about Campbell?”

Jen scoffed. “Campbell’s all the way in North Dakota, you got time.”

“What’s he doing there?” David asked.

“Probably at the zoo. He loves to see inferior beings in cages. Okay, address is sent, don’t take that one alley, you know of it.” Jen said.

David was still processing Campbell’s presumed activities, but shook his head to get rid of the image as the phone dinged. He grabbed his bag, the phone, and his keys, and was on his way.

 

It was kind of suspicious that Jen just _gave_ him the address, but David wasn’t exactly complaining. He wanted to tell Daniel about what Jasper had said anyway.

When he first arrived, he couldn’t found the entrance, but after a few minutes of searching, he found it behind a dumpster. “Clever,” he muttered to himself. Taking a deep breath, David stepped into the darkness, using his phone as a flashlight.

He came to a metal door, which had no handle and no peephole. David frowned, but he was hesitant to knock. This was a criminal base, and he was still a cop. Things could get ugly if he wasn’t careful.

Suddenly, the door opened, and two pairs of arms grabbed him and pulled him through the door. David yelped, and the door shut behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UH OH!!! What's gonna happen? I know this is a bit shorter than my usual chapters but the next one will probably be twice as long. Or maybe just as short, who really knows  
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think, if you got the time ;0 I welcome criticism with open arms yall i aint afraid to be wrong


	15. So Much I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The past comes to light.

Bright light blinded David’s eyes as he was forcefully pulled from the dark hallway. The sudden movement left him breathless, and panic filled his chest.

There was commotion, a lot of it. People gathered around David, who was still being held by who he now identified as guards of sorts. He dug his heels into the concrete floor in a feeble attempt to get away, but the guards had a tight grip on him.

A voice cut through the crowd, and it silenced and parted. David was overjoyed to see Daniel walk through the mob, but he didn’t look as happy.

“You can let him go,” Daniel said. “He’s the new recruit. Treat him with some respect.”

The guards released David. “Sorry boss,” one of the guards grumbled.

Daniel smiled, but it was forced. “It’s alright. Now if you’ll excuse me, we have some paperwork to fill out. New recruit? If you will,” he motioned for David to follow him, and led him through the murmuring mass into a small office.

Once the door was shut and locked, the fake smirk dropped, and Daniel cupped David’s face. “Are you okay? They didn’t hurt you too bad, I hope,” he said, checking his arms for bruises.

David grinned, and laughed a little. “Danny, I’m fine. I just came to return your phone. You left it at my apartment, but now it looks like I’m in a cult,” he said, pulling out the phone and handing it to the blond.

“Ah, you say that jokingly…” Daniel took the phone. “Thank you, love. Unfortunately, it’s going to take a while to get you out of here inconspicuously. You don’t have anyplace you need to be, right?”

“Well, work, but I can just call in sick. I still have a few days left.”

“Good, good. Again, I’m sorry—” Daniel was cut off by the telephone on the desk. He sighed and reached over to pick it up, glancing at David with a finger to his lips.

“Lafayette speaking,” he said, leaning against the desk casually, tapping his fingers on the wood.

The two were quiet as the person on the receiving end spoke.

“Ah, Cameron! Nice to finally hear from you . How are things in Fargo?”

David glanced around the room as they talked.

“I can’t just assign a mission last minute, Cam. It takes planning. You know this.”

The desk was made of shiny redwood, piled on top of it were files and knick-knacks of sorts. A fancy lamp stood tall next to a nameplate that read ‘Cameron Campbell, Bossman’, and David snickered. Daniel shot him a glare with no bite, and he shrugged in apology.

“Okay. Monday, then. Tomorrow. Where were you thinking?”

There was a dusty bookshelf to the left, but it barely looked used. David guessed it was used only for aesthetic. He could name a few books that he had read himself, but it was mostly famous authors, a few dictionaries, and an atlas.

“I see. Yes, that works.”

To the right, there was a wall of file cabinets, all marked with different acronyms. A dead plant was set on top of the last cabinet. Above it was a giant portrait of Campbell himself, posing with a bear head under his foot and a wolf head in his hand. In his other hand was a gun.

“How many do you think we’ll need? They take a while to make, you know. I can get one of the arsonists to help with it.”

The wall behind David was covered floor to ceiling with guns. Bayonets, rifles, machine guns, pistols, what looked like a rocket launcher, and a sniper rifle were only a few of the guns on that wall, and the sight of it made David a bit anxious and left a sinking feeling in his chest.

“Got it. Monday, mall, bomb. See you later,” Daniel said. He put the phone back on the base and sighed. “I hate to have to ask you this, but do you mind pretending to be a new recruit for a bit longer? It’s a busy day today, so sneaking you out will be easier if we do it tomorrow after the mission. We can pretend you ran away, I suppose.”

David tilted his head. “What’s this about a bomb? Are you going to blow up a mall?” He questioned.

Daniel pushed himself off the desk and rested his hands on David’s shoulders. “Not to worry, darling. It won’t take long.”

“I...I can’t let you do this, much less be a part of it.”

“I understand it’s a lot to ask, but if you let me, I’ll make sure no one will know. There are a few masks somewhere, you can wear those.”

“Danny, it’s not just about being recognized, it’s immoral.”

“So is dating me. Nothing will go wrong.”

“But the mission itself _is_ wrong. I can’t do it.”

"Come on, David. It's not even blowing up an _entire_ mall, just a part of it."

"I can't, Danny."

Daniel sighed, and sat down on David’s lap. “Do you trust me?” he asked.

Flustered, David looked away and nodded.

“Do you trust me enough to go through with this? You won’t get hurt, I promise. No one will,” Daniel assured, gripping David’s chin and turning his face towards him again.

“How can a bomb _not_ kill people?”

“Clear them out with a warning, obviously. Campbell wants a death count, but I’ll just make up a number. He’s not here, he won’t know.”

David held his breath. This was a stupid idea, to even _think_ about doing it. But Daniel was slowly convincing him otherwise, a gift he was using to his stupid advantage. Him and his stupid eyes, and his stupid smile. David was melting and his resolve was decaying before his eyes.

He sighed. “Alright, fine. But just this once, Daniel.”

Daniel grinned beautifully. “That’s all I ask. First and last time.” He kissed him quickly and stood up. “I’m afraid I have to go over the mission with my men. Can you believe Campbell wants me to call them ‘soldiers’? That man is ridiculous.”

David giggled. “Should I stay here?”

Daniel hummed and tapped his chin. “No, I think I’ll have Jen quietly escort you to my quarters. She’ll be here in a few minutes. Sit tight, m’kay love?”

“Okay. I love you.”

“I love you, darling.”

One last kiss, and Daniel was gone, leaving David alone in a room of dusty books and a wall of guns. He sat awkwardly, afraid that any movement he made would set off an alarm of sorts. The door swinging open forced a yelp out of him, and he stood quickly and spun around.

“Tell. Me. _Everything_.” Jen announced as she entered the room.

David chuckled weakly. “About what?”

Jen slapped him on the shoulder. “The _sex_ , duh! I’ve always wanted to know what my _boss_ would be like in bed, but he’d never sleep with me.” She frowned, but it was obvious she didn’t really care.

“It’s...kind of personal…”

“That bad, huh?”

David’s eyes went wide, and he blushed. “W-what? No, it’s not that.”

“Ooooh, it was your first time! Damn, dude, you gotta get out more. Guy like you; I bet you’d have women hanging off of you given enough time,” Jen said. The way she said it made it seem like it was a compliment, but her tone made it seem like she was being sarcastic. David couldn’t tell, so he let it go, shrugging.

“I get it. I’ll just get Daniel to tell me.”

Jen led David to Daniel’s room and switched on the lights. “Well, here we are. It’s a mess, but Dan’s a busy guy. Has time to smoke a cigarette, but not enough time to clean his damn room.”

The room was actually quite clean, the messiest thing was his bed, which was covered in papers and files, leaving barely enough room to sit down. There was no way he could sleep in that pile, which led David to wonder if he got any sleep at all.

He thanked Jen, and she left with a wink. “Don’t go through his shit, by the way. He gets mad when I do it, and he’s be even more furious if he caught you doing it. Besides, it's not like there's anything here for you. Anyway, good luck on that mission!”

David was left, frowning, in the middle of Daniel’s room. Snooping was something he didn’t really want to do, but Jen’s tone hinted at the fact that there was something in here for David to see; something he _needed_ to see. He just had to find it.

The dresser was the first place he started. As soon as he did, he immediately felt a sinking guilt in his stomach. This was a bad idea, but there might be something about what happened to Daniel in here. A note or a…

Under a pair of white pants, was a journal. David almost laughed; Daniel didn’t seem like the type to write in a journal. He opened the first page, but it was empty. He flipped through it all, and there was nothing. He sighed sharply, and carefully put it back.

Of course, he thought, the dresser was too obvious. In every movie, that’s always where the diary is hidden, and Daniel loved movies too much to practice that stereotype. So he checked elsewhere, and quickly. Briefing the ‘soldiers’ wouldn’t take too long, he imagined, so he had to hurry if he wanted to find anything.

After ten minutes, he found something; a tape recorder in a shoe box hidden in the back of the closet. There were three tapes labeled: “David”, each with a different date scribbled on them. Just as David was about to listen to one, there was a knock at the door. He jumped and shoved the tapes into his bag, along with the tape recorder.

“David?” Daniel called from the door. David speed-walked out, trying not to look too suspicious.

Daniel gave him a weird look, but shook his head a bit. “I hope Jen didn’t give you too much trouble. She’s a bit of a wild card,” he said.

David smiled, slowly relaxing. “Nah, it was fine. She did ask about last night, though.”

“What? How does she even know? I haven’t told her yet. I was actually debating whether or not I should…”

“I accidentally told her. Sorry,” David said, picking at his fingers.

Daniel tilted his head, smiling lopsidedly, and David’s heart fluttered. “Don’t worry about it, love. You solved my dilemma for me, so you’re off the hook for now,” he lightly pinched his cheek, and David giggled.

“I hope you don’t mind sharing a bed with me again. I’ll clear all this off in due time, but for now I have another issue to attend to. I’ll be back later today, probably this evening. Are you okay being left alone here for that long?”

David’s grin faded a bit. “Yeah, I guess.”

Daniel noticed, and he hummed. “I’m sorry to have to leave you again, but this can’t wait. Don’t try to make too much noise when I’m gone, okay darling? The door will be locked, only Jen has the key. She can bring you food if you need it.”

They kissed, pulling each other close. David wanted to savor it, but an alarm went off on Daniel’s phone.

He pulled away. “Ah, that would be my cue. I’ll see you soon, love,” Daniel kissed him once more, and he was gone.

Again, David stood alone in Daniel’s room. Then it occurred to him that he could listen to the tapes now.

Grabbing his bag and pushing aside some paperwork, David hopped onto the bed and took out the first tape. He took a deep breath, and pushed it in.

 

“Thanks, I got it now, you can leave. Jen, come on, leave please. Okay. _Ahem_.

“Hello, David. This is Daniel Lafayette. I realize by this point we don’t know each other’s last names, but maybe if we meet again, we will. But, if you're listening, you know who you are.

“It’s July tenth, thirty-eight days since I have seemingly ‘disappeared’, according to the news. David, love, I know you don’t know what happened. I know you won’t know until I tell you, but if this continues the way it has, I might not want to tell you, should we meet again. So, I have made these tapes in the hopes of enlightening you while I still can. Are you ready? Are you listening? Okay, then.

“I didn’t disappear, David. I was kidnapped. By the very people I will most likely work for in the future. They came to Gwen’s house while she was on vacation with her parents. Three men, of which I have now learned the names of broke in while I was cleaning. One went upstairs, one began to search the house for valuables, the last held me at gunpoint.

“They knew me, David. They knew my name. They demanded I come with them, and of course, I refused. I had you, I couldn’t leave. They told me I didn’t have a choice, that they need a person like me. I didn’t understand what they meant, I'm just a kid.

“As blackmail, the man who went upstairs found our photo. The one we took on the night we heard activities like this were taking place in my neighborhood. They threatened...they threatened to kill you if I didn’t cooperate. So I had no choice.

“And now I am here, in my new room, waiting for whatever unspeakable act I will be forced to perform. I’m sorry, David, that this happened. I miss you...I love you.”

 

Maybe it was hearing Daniel’s younger voice that started the tears. Maybe it was the fact that now, he knew. Tears streamed down David’s face, but that didn’t stop him from inserting the next tape.

 

“—on? Oh, okay, I think I have got it now, thank you Jen. Gosh, it’s been a while since I’ve used one of these. Okay.

“Hello, David. It’s me, Daniel Lafayette. It has been two years, seven months, two weeks, and three days since I last touched this thing, and I apologized for that. I’ve been...busy.

“Well, well. Long time, no see. I mean that in every way possible, because even though I have delivered you your birthday presents, I can’t come home. I can only assume you have moved on, or my presents have been a cruel reminder that I have left you in the dark for so long. If you’re wondering why I haven’t just sent you a letter depicting the details of my last tape, know it is because I am not able to do such. I have eyes on me at all times, Jen is the one who helps me deliver the presents, and she is the only one who knows about you. Or at least, remembers you.

“Anyway, I bet you must be curious as to what I have been up to for these past two years, seven months, two weeks, and three days, and I wish I could ask you the same. I miss you, so much, David. Yet, I find I can’t call you what I used to in good conscience. You might have moved on with someone who won’t vanish from your life so suddenly, and I need you to know that it’s okay.

“I don’t want to tell you what I have been ‘up to’, but I feel it is important for you to know. Before you think of it, I _have_ tried to escape. Every attempt leads to harsh beatings and torture I can barely withstand. By now, I must be covered in scars, but I refuse to look in the mirror to confirm. They are clever, though, and make sure my clothing covers it all. Horrid, isn’t it?

“If you find that despicable, then you won’t be too proud of me in the slightest. I, too, have partaken in such activities, sometimes by my own will. To take my anger out, maybe. I’ve killed, David. Children, men and women. I’m not proud of myself, but I don’t have a choice.

“It keeps me up at night; the things I have done. I’ve taken up drinking to help me sleep and forget, but it never works. Nothing is working, David. You may ask yourself why I haven’t ended myself to escape this torture, and it’s because of you. Someday, I’ll get out of here. I’ll come back to you, even if you don’t want me, I’ll check in. I’ll let you know I’m alive, I’m okay.

“Someday, I’ll come back. I don’t know when, or how, but I promise I’ll come back to you. I love you.”

David was full on sobbing, and he set the recorder down for a minute to collect himself. All this time, this was here? In Daniel’s closet, the entire explanation? He sounded so young, it was almost hard to listen to.

He took a few deep breaths, and put in the final tape.

 

“Hello, David Orchard. This is Daniel Lafayette. Funny, I spent years guessing what your surname would be, but that one never came to mind.

“Anyway, it is June fourth, the day after we were reunited after seven long years. Yesterday was...not what I expected. I am, however, unbelievably proud of you for becoming a police officer. You look adorable in your uniform. You really know how to work a bullet-proof vest.

“I was too overwhelmed, so my brain wasn’t working correctly. I came to your home in an attempt to apologize for my earlier behavior, but I came off as a man you have never known. I’m sorry for that. I want to get to know you again. The way I acted was unacceptable. I hate myself for what I said, what I did, but you have to understand that I have changed. Who you saw was who I was taught to be in the seven years we’ve been apart. If that is the true me...I don’t know. I don’t want it to be. I don't know if I have a choice, though. I don’t think I’ll ever know.

“The future for us is...uncertain. Some part of me is begging to see you again, but another is fighting to stay away. I’ve messed it up; you want nothing to do with me. And it’s understandable, I want nothing to do with me either. Yet, I can’t stay away. I miss you, David. I don’t want to be your enemy. Even so, it seems I’ve sealed my fate as your enemy anyway.

“...Words cannot express how sorry I am. For everything. I took too long, and now you had to see me as I am now. A broken, terrible man, unworthy of even a glance from you. For a time, I almost forgot why I was fighting to stay alive. I almost did it, David. I’m so tired of this life. I’m so tired in general. As I predicted, I work—and, if you can believe it, command—the very people who took me in the first place. Strange, the passage of time.

“Someday, I hope we can be friends. We don’t have to go back to back to the way things were, even though I would like that, we can take it slow. Now that you know what I am, though, it might take a while. I love you.”

 

There were a million emotions swirling around in David. The tape ended, and he was left in darkness, in silence. David was crying, because now he knew. He knew what Daniel refused to tell him. And he couldn’t stop crying.

He couldn’t stop when the door opened. He couldn’t stop when he was asked what was wrong. He couldn’t stop when he was pulled into an embrace, while gentle words were whispered into his ear.

It took a while for David to calm. Daniel was there, somehow, and he knew. He was staring at the tapes, with an expression David couldn’t read. Daniel wiped the last few tears away, and planted a kiss on his forehead.

“I would say you weren’t supposed to find those, but that was really their only purpose,” he said softly, almost with a chuckle. “What I can tell you, was that you weren’t supposed to find them here and now. I suppose now is as good a time as any, however.”

David still couldn’t speak. His throat was too tight from all that crying, so he just closed his eyes.

“I’m sorry, David. I’m so—”

David cupped his face and brought it close to his own. “Stop. Just...stop, Danny. Stop talking,” his voice cracked, but he didn’t care.

So they sat in silence, David’s thumb gently caressing Daniel’s face. It was dark, but he could feel the tears on his face.

“It’s okay. We’re okay now. I’m here, for you, and you’re here for me. We’ll be alright, okay Danny?” David whispered. Daniel nodded. He didn’t want to talk.

They stayed like that for a while, both crying, both breathing. They were okay, for now. Things would be okay, they could feel it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OOF. that was an emotional ride i am so sorry. for me at least, i don't know how you guys are feeling. this had a very different energy from my last chapters, i think. and i know i posted friday but i was too excited to get this out to you so here you go  
> Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what yall think, i'm excited to find out


	16. Down And Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bombs away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ugh, I hate to do this but I need more characters and I refuse to make my own. I'm aging up the kids. They're all 18 now, but there is NO funny business going on. At least, not with them.

A single ray of sunlight was what woke David up, the source being a small window placed weirdly high on the wall. He squinted and rolled over, facing Daniel. Daniel was still asleep for all he knew, peaceful and handsome as always.

Last night was difficult, but satisfying. David was now aware of the events that took place seven years ago, and he finally felt more whole. Most of his questions were answered, so for now he was content.

There was a murmur beside him from Daniel, and David pulled back to look at him. He opened a single eye, blue and gorgeous.

“Morning. Sorry about the window,” Daniel muttered, his nose in David’s hair.

David smiled. “It’s okay. Strange, though.”

“That’s what I said. You get used to it.”

His eyes were closed again, but he was pulling David closer. He planted a kiss on his forehead, and hummed.

“Are you going to be okay today? I know you were hesitant. It’s no too late to back out; I won’t judge.”

“I know that. I can do it.”

“You sure?”

“Mm-hm.”

Daniel sat up at the exact moment someone knocked on the door. He groaned, and fell backwards again, pulling a pillow over his face.

David moved over and wrapped his arms around his torso. “I don’t wanna get up,” he murmured.

“Me neither, baby.”

“You guys aren’t naked, right?” Jen called through the door. Daniel smirked, and David chuckled, hugging him tighter.

“Don’t come in,” Daniel responded.

“Ah, shit,” Jen cursed.

David stifled his giggles in Daniel’s chest, his shoulders shaking. The pillow fell off of Daniel’s face, and he buried his face in David’s neck. He tensed, but giggled as he felt his cool lips on his skin.

“Danny, it’s too early…we have to do the...thing…”

There wasn’t a response.

“Daniel, fuck _off_ of him you slut,” Jen yelled.

David felt the lips smile, and Daniel left one last kiss before pulling away and covering himself with the blanket.

“We can move it to tomorrow. You’re too cute in the mornings.”

“Alright, I’m coming in. Cover yourselves, boys!”

Jen swung open the door, looking half-disgusted and half-bored. David and Daniel were still dressed, but David was wearing one of Daniel’s shirts.

“You lied to me. You _and_ your boy toy,” Jen pouted.

Daniel sat up, smirking. “You think I’d leave the door unlocked if I was going to have sex? Please, Jennifer. Have some class.”

“I don’t know what you do when you fuck someone!”

David was frowning, his face bright red. “Don’t we have somewhere to be, Daniel?”

Daniel turned to him. “It’s morning, love, we’ve got time.”

“Nuh-uh. It’s almost two PM,” Jen said with a scoff.

“What? Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?”

“It’s self care Monday. I was doing a face mask.”

Daniel groaned and threw the covers off, cursing profusely. David laughed at his excessive swears as he slipped out of the bed and onto the cold floor. It occurred to him what he was getting ready for, and his smile faded.

 

They took turns in the shower, made out in the closet while trying to look for something David could wear, and were ready in less than thirty minutes.

“You might want to wear a scarf, love. You got…well...” Daniel motioned to his neck with a smirk.

“ _Dammit_ Daniel!” David snatched the scarf out of his hands, glaring hard. “If someone asks, you bet your ass I’m throwing you under the bus.”

Daniel laughed, and kissed his burning red cheek. “Relax, darling. It’s probably obvious, seeing as you’re following me out of my room.”

“Oh…” David murmured, “I didn’t even think about that.”

“Not to worry. We don’t have any rooms open anyways. I can tell them you slept in Campbell’s office.”

David hummed and nodded.

They walked out to the main room, filled with a mob of criminals awaiting Daniel’s command. It was almost scary the way that when they entered the room, it fell silent as Daniel walked up to the front. David quickly made his way to the crowd and stood to the side.

“Alright, soldiers. Today, we blow up a fucking mall.”

Hoots and cheer echoed throughout the room, and David tried his best to look excited.

“Pikeman helped me build the bomb, and now I need four people to assist in the planting of it.”

People shouted and jumped to get Daniel’s attention as he scanned the room. David locked eyes with him for a split second, and Daniel winked. A smile grew on David’s face, and he chuckled. It was like leading a theater group for Daniel. What a dork.

“Alright. Max, Neil, Nikki, and the New Recruit. All of you, to the van, I’ll be there in five. The rest of you…” he paused, eyeing each and every one of the convicts before him. He didn’t look at David, though. “...go find something to take. A purse, money,” he glanced at David, “a life. Your choice.”

More cheers, and Daniel walked away with the three people he called. David hesitantly followed, biting his lip. He didn’t like that look Daniel gave him. It was cold, bare. He was suddenly a lot more anxious about this.

* * *

 

“So…” Max started. He was about eighteen, with black hair and angry green eyes. “Why’d you decided to join? You don’t look like the type of guy who likes to kill.”

David tried not to look nervous. “Uh, well...looks...can be deceiving,” he said.

Max nodded, impressed. “Yeah, yeah they can.”

Neil, a kid with brown hair and blue eyes, frowned, seeming unsatisfied. “So, what are you here for? Just to steal shit?”

“No, I do whatever I’m told.”

In the rear view mirror, he could see Daniel smirk.

“Can you do jumping jacks?” Nikki, the green haired girl asked.

David gave her a weird look. “In a moving car?”

“Duh! Do what you’re told!”

“That’s...not what I meant. Daniel is the boss, so I do what he tells me to do. Do you not do that?”

Max scoffed, and leaned back in his seat. “Daniel’s only in charge because Campbell’s taking another vacation. He’s got no real power over us.”

David frowned, but decided to say nothing. Besides, Daniel beat him to it.

“You better watch your mouth, kid. I could kill you at any time, and Campbell wouldn’t even fucking notice.”

That seemed to shut Max up, as he snarled and looked away. “Whatever.”

David had to fight a snicker. He felt a bit guilty; Daniel was threatening to kill a kid, but that kid seemed to be an asshole, so what was the big deal?

He almost forgot he was a police officer, and corrected that thought to something more positive. It was wrong to threaten a child, but sometimes that child deserved it. A bit better.

The bomb was stored in a backpack that Nikki volunteered to carry. The kids walked behind the adults, all involved in their own conversations.

“What do you think about the new recruit?” Neil asked quietly.

“I think he’s cool! I was always told gingers don’t have souls though, so who really knows?” Nikki said.

Max scoffed. “There’s something fishy about him. Who wears a scarf in the spring? I think he’s hiding something.”

Neil nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Hold on, let’s get closer and see what they’re talking about.”

The three silently moved near to David and Daniel, listening in on their conversation.

“—dynamite. What do you think?” Daniel was saying.

David hummed. “Yeah, I think that’s good. We only have one left, anyways. Tonight?”

“Can’t wait.”

Max and Neil fell back, pulling Nikki with them by her backpack.

“They could be talking about anything,” Max huffed.

“I think they’re gonna blow something up! Besides this mall.” Nikki offered.

Neil nodded again. “Sounds like it. Should we investigate more?”

“Anything to fuck with Daniel. That guy sucks.”

“I kind of like him! He’s charming and he’s got a soul,” Nikki said.

“Don’t be too sure about that…” Max muttered.

They moved closer again.

“No, that’s...ugh, Danny, you’re such a dork. Sharks and Jets are just names of the gangs, it’s not a metaphor,” David giggled.

“And how do you know that?”

“It’s not supposed to be a deep kind of musical, it’s just a story! You look way too deep into things sometimes, I swear.”

The three backed up, staring at each other with wide eyes and open mouths.

“No. Way.” Nikki gasped.

“They were talking about a _musical_? What are they, a couple?” Max hissed.

“That would explain the scarf! Daniel must have—”

“Ugh, don’t say it. I don’t want to think about Daniel fucking some redhead,” Max grimaced. Neil shrugged.

“What are we gonna do with this information? Sell it to the FBI? What if the ginger is secretly a cop?!” Nikki was jumping up and down, her pigtails bouncing with her.

Neil scoffed. “Nikki, that’s ridiculous. Daniel’s not stupid. If there were a cop in our midst, he’d be killed in an instant.”

“Now we’ve _got_ to follow them,” Max said. “This is fucking _perfect_.”

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that…” Neil said with a frown.

Max and Nikki turned to him, shocked. “What do you mean?” Max asked.

“Well, it’s their personal business, right? Why should we get involved?”

Max almost slapped him. “What the fuck are you talking about? We’re getting involved to take down Daniel!”

“And then what? What, do you think _you_ could do what Daniel does? Jen would be next in line, and you hate her almost as much as you hate Daniel. You hate everybody. Would the rest even follow you? What would Campbell do when he gets back? There’s too much at stake.”

Max frowned. Neil had a point; he didn’t know the first thing about organized crime. Not to mention, he was kind of scared of Campbell. That man could snap his neck like a twig, and had threatened to do so.

Nikki seemed convinced it was a bad idea, too, so Max gave up. Besides, overthrowing Daniel would mean more work, and that was almost the last thing he wanted. But, he could easily damage whatever relationship they had...

“How big is this fucking mall?”

“We’re halfway there. Quit whining,” Daniel turned around to say. Max glared at him. What an asshole.

Suddenly, Daniel stopped. “Wait...here. I need to take care of something,” he said. David opened his mouth to say something, but Daniel was already gone.

Max was in awe. The perfect moment. He cleared his throat and stepped next to David.

“So, New Recruit—” Max started, but David cut him off.

“It’s David,” he said.

Max nodded. “So, _David_...how you liking this so far? Daniel’s a sack of shit, right?”

“Oh, he’s not that bad,” David said with a half-smile.

“Oh, but you don’t know what he’s done. That guy has killed and robbed and tortured so many people. He’s a dangerous one, that Daniel.”

David was starting to look a bit concerned, and Neil jumped in.

“I’ve heard it was over two hundred people. He’s got a lot of time and a lot of rage,” he said.

“That’s such a big number…” David muttered. Max had to hold back a grin. It was working.

“You should see how he treats the younger folks, like us.”

“Yeah, he beats us if we refuse to kill. He’s ruthless, heartless,” Neil stated.

David looked like he was about to cry, and he glanced off to where Daniel had walked away. “Does he really? That’s horrible…”

Nikki nodded sadly. “I have bruises everywhere. See?” She rolled up her sleeve to show a big, dark purple bruise on her shoulder. Neil and Max knew that it was because she had fallen out of a tree, but David didn’t. They underestimated how smart Nikki could be sometimes.

David gasped softly at the sight and bit his lip. “What...else has he done?”

Max smiled innocently. “So, _so_ many things. So many _terrible_ , _terrible_ things. He’s killed babies, toddlers, pregnant mothers...the list goes on. He’s tortured the innocent for fun. He’s burned people alive because he likes to hear their screams. He poisons people, gives them the antidote, then  poisons them again. Daniel is not a kind man, David. I can’t imagine anyone ever loving him in good conscience.”

“Can you imagine if a cop was dating him? That would suck.” Nikki thought out loud.

David stared at them with wide, scared eyes. Their job was done. They could see Daniel approaching, and Max stepped back and pretended like nothing happened. Nikki and Neil did the same.

“Sorry about that, important business. You alright David? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Daniel said. David nodded, but said nothing.

Daniel narrowed his eyes a bit, but shook his head slightly. “Okay, let’s keep going.”

Finally, they reached their destination; a clothing store on the second floor of the mall. In the elevator, Daniel addressed the group.

“Alright, New Recruit and I will head to the dressing room and set the bomb up, you three roam the store and keep the staff busy. Throw shit, make a scene, I don’t care.”

The kids grinned at each other, and Daniel felt content with the reactions. He hated them, but they were great at making distractions, and Max was a gifted thief.

The elevator dinged, and the backpack was handed off. The team made their way to the store, and the plan was set in action, the kids spreading throughout the store, and the adults picking up a armful of clothes to ‘try on’.

David was silent, staring at the floor for most of the time. Daniel got a dressing room at the very end, locked the door, and pulled of the backpack. Instead of immediately taking out the bomb, he addressed David.

“Are you okay, love? You look like you’ve got something on your mind,” he said.

David nodded, biting his inner cheek. Daniel frowned.

“What did those stupid kids tell you?”

The redhead finally looked at him, surprised. “What?”

“This isn’t the first time they’ve done this. They tell lies about me to every new recruit we get in an effort to drive them away. It’s pathetic, really, and it doesn’t really work,” he looked up with a lopsided smile, “but they got into your head, didn’t they?”

Hesitantly, David nodded.

“Ah, those twerps. I’d kill ‘em if I could, but I’d be lying if I said they weren’t useful. I’m not allowed to kill useful people.”

That statement didn’t make David feel any more comfortable, and the look he wore showed it.

“I don’t mean...er…” Daniel sighed. “It doesn’t matter. What does matter is that whatever they told you isn’t true. You listened to the tapes. You know that I wouldn’t do that shit.”

That statement _did_ comfort him, though. Daniel was right, torturing someone for fun wasn’t something he liked to do at all. And beating children? It was stupid to even believe those kids.

David sighed, and allowed himself to loosen up. “I’m sorry, Danny. I’m too gullible. They did guess that I was a cop, though.”

Daniel tilted his head and smiled, wrapping his arms around David. “Yeah, the green haired one thinks every new recruit is a cop,” he said.

Laughter filled the dressing room, and the tension was gone. A relief for David, actually. He hated being scared of Daniel; it wasn’t a nice feeling.

Daniel stared at him for a while, and kissed his cheek. “Don’t mind them. They don’t know what they’re talking about 90% of the time.”

David chuckled. “Yeah, kids.”

“Mm.”

They kissed, long and passionate, smiling to themselves. Sometimes, it was nice to have a moment like this. Of course, preceded with a bunch off pointless lies, it wasn't as special, but David didn't mind in the slightest.

Things were getting more heated, and even though David was all for that, there was a bomb in the room, and those kids could only do so much before they got kicked out. David's scarf had long since fallen to the floor, Daniel's impatient hands having practically ripped it off.

“Danny,” he muttered, “there’s..mm, there still a bomb in here…”

“It’s a fake,” came the murmured reply, and David had to pull away for a second.

“What?”

“It’s a _fake._ It doesn’t work.”

“Uh—”

“Shut up, love, for God’s sake, and let me kiss you.”

That, of course, was something David couldn’t really argue with. The bomb was fake, the staff was busy, they were alone, what was the harm?

So they kissed again, lips and teeth and tongue and _God_ , David loved every moment. He loved the way Daniel's hands wandered everywhere, the way his lips felt on his neck, the way his fingers traveled lower, and lower, and lower...

There was a loud knock at the door, and they quickly drew apart, panting. But they waited. It could be a staff member.

“Daniel, hurry up, we’re getting thrown out,” Max called through the door.

Daniel sighed sharply and kissed David one more time. “We’ll continue this later,” he whispered. He scooped up the backpack and opened the door. “Damn it, we couldn’t finish getting it ready. We’ll have to abort.”

Max frowned, but shrugged. “Oh well. I had fun.”

“Oh, I bet.”

Exiting the mall was uneventful, but David remembered Daniel saying something about him pretending to run away so he wouldn’t be caught up in this for too long. Daniel must have been thinking the same thing, because he glanced over at him and put up one finger when the kids weren’t looking. David nodded, and kept walking.

While the kids were getting into the van, Daniel pulled him around to the back. “Okay, love. Here’s the plan: I’ll drive as close as I can to where you live and leave the door unlocked. I’ll tap the steering wheel three times, and that’ll be your signal to run home. I’ll be there later tonight. Understand?”

David nodded, and Daniel smiled. “Good.” He placed a quick kiss on his cheek and walked back around to the driver’s seat.

As soon as they stepped into the van, Nikki piped up, “what were you talking about?”

“None of your business,” Daniel stated.

“Were you making out?” Max said.

Daniel turned around to glare at him. “Watch it, kid. I have a gun in here and I’m not afraid to get the seats bloody.”

Max huffed and looked away. Daniel turned back around and gave David a “are you ready” look, and David nodded.

The entire drive there, David was glancing over at Daniel’s fingers while the kids chatted softly in the back. At a stoplight, there was the signal, and David pushed the door open and booked it. He could hear Daniel yell his name and the squeaking of tires.

Daniel was chasing him.

David broke into a sprint and ducked behind an alley, his heart pounding at the speed of light. The van sped passed the alley, and David tried to slow his breathing. It was just for realism, he told himself. If Daniel had let it go without chasing him, the kids would know something was up. It was necessary.

 

A few hours passed, and Daniel was sitting in front of the TV, about to hit play on the remote.

“You better hurry up! I’m going to press play and you’ll miss it!” he called to the kitchen.

“Stop! I’m almost done!” David yelled back. He rushed into the room with a giant bowl of ice cream and two spoons. He settled down in Daniel’s lap like the date before, and Daniel pressed play.

It was funny, today had gone all according to plan, which rarely happened for Daniel. The bomb mission had ‘failed’, the kids got to take their repressed rage out on innocent retail workers, David was convinced that Daniel was still a good guy...everything seemed perfect.

“Hey Danny, what were you doing when you walked off in the mall?” David whispered.

“None of your business, darling, don’t worry about it.”

“Hm. Okay.”

David had learned not to push things. He’d know the truth eventually, and that he was thankful for. Thanks to those tapes, he knew everything, and was satisfied completely. And now, he was well-aware that Daniel couldn’t have been able to tell him what happened anyways, and he almost felt bad about pushing so hard.

He supposed he should be upset that Daniel lied about the bomb, but he found it stupid. The only thing he lied about was that he was going to issue a warning to get people out. That turned out to be unnecessary, because the bomb didn’t even work to begin with. He was okay with that, and he was pretty sure he knew the reason, too.

Campbell wanted a death count, and since Daniel was in charge, that was on him. There were only a few ways to get out of it without actually taking lives, but making it seem like that was his intention. For example, making a dead bomb.

A corner of his mouth lifted, and he took a moment to soak in Daniel’s cleverness. Handsome and intelligent; basically the perfect guy. Too bad he was forced to use his powers for evil.

But really, he had David fooled. He had an entire room of people fooled into thinking the bomb was real, into thinking there would be spilled blood.

“I’m sorry of I scared you earlier. I had to make sure the kids would believe it wasn’t planned,” Daniel whispered.

“It’s okay, Danny, I figured that was the reason anyway,” David assured.

Daniel nodded, burying his nose in David’s neck. “Good. I’m sorry I lied to you—”

“Danny, relax. I know. It’s okay.” David positioned himself so he could look into Daniel’s eyes. “We’re okay.”

He stared at him for a moment, them nodded, planting a kiss on his cheek. David smiled and turned back to the movie. He could feel the kisses trail down his cheek to his neck and to his shoulders, leaving a tingly feeling behind them.

This was how it started last time. Movie on, lips leaving kisses everywhere, hands caressing the skin under his shirt. David wasn’t invested in the movie anymore, he was paying attention to what Daniel was doing.

Suddenly, the movements slowed, and they came to a stop. Daniel’s cool lips were still against his neck, calm and motionless. David furrowed his brows and glanced over his shoulder.

Daniel’s eyes were half-lidded and tired, and David could see a hint of a storm in them. He was thinking.

“Danny?” David said softly. Daniel looked up, then back down to stare at nothing. He sat up, the ghost of his lips still a sensation on David’s skin, and rested his chin on his shoulder. He didn’t say anything.

“Are you alright? Is there something wrong?”

Daniel sighed slowly. “What would you do if I left again?”

David was taken aback by this, and blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean...if I died, what would you do?”

He stared at him for a moment. “I’d be broken.”

“Unfixable?”

“Of course. We...we just started dating again, and you’re going to leave me again?”

Daniel sat up quickly. “What? Oh, no, baby, I’m not leaving you. You’re not...that’s not what I mean.

David turned around in his lap and crossed his arms. “Then what _do_ you mean? Why are you asking about that thing? Of course I’m going to assume you’re leaving, Daniel.”

They sat in silence for a moment. There was that tension again. Neither of them enjoyed it.

Daniel bit his lip, and sighed again. “Darling, it’s just a question. One of our ice breakers.”

“Didn’t sound like it. It sounded like a question someone asks when they’re about to leave.”

There was a sad look in Daniel’s eyes, and David’s anger seemed to melt away. He sighed and cupped his face, caressing his cheek slowly.

“I’m sorry, Danny. I’m just...I’m scared you’re going to leave. When you talk like that, it seems like that’s your plan. We just...we were just getting this thing going. I let you take me on our first date since you disappeared, and you leaving after that would spoil that memory. Really, any memory we shared. I don’t want that.”

Daniel stared at him for a long time, then let his eyes fall to his hands, which were still on David’s waist. “I...I don’t want that either, love. I’m sorry I worried you,” he said softly.

“It there anything else going on that I need to know about? Are you going to be okay?”

Daniel shook his head, and pressed his lips to David’s. “Nothing. We’re okay.”

David smiled, and connected their foreheads. “Yeah. We’re okay. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

There was more on his mind, David could tell. But he didn’t want to push too hard, so he let it go for now. He’d ask about it if it ever came up again.

The resumed their position, and every so often Daniel would kiss his neck or bite his ear. Small things to show that he was okay.

Small things to show that he was still there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, this one was 14 pages on docs. shit. I hope you like it, this one was pretty fun. let me know what you think and have a great day/night.


	17. Don't Forget Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something goes horribly, horribly wrong.

In the days that followed, things were calmer. Dates became more frequent, nights more passionate, words sappier and embraces longer. Yet there was an underlying sadness to Daniel’s movements; hesitant and cautious, as if he were afraid to get too attached. Something was coming, but David didn’t know what.

They didn’t talk about it, but when it was too noticeable, they would share a look. A look that said, “I know something is wrong, but you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to”. Nothing was shared but that specific glance.

David remembered something, a moment in high school the two shared. They promised that they would be open about everything; they loved each other that much. This was breaking their promise, Daniel was feeling something he refused to share. David could try to guess, and often laid awake at night doing exactly that. Why was he sad? How could he be, he got what he wanted. Daniel was right next to him, reading, but he couldn’t ask him.

But he had to, if he wanted to get rid of this hidden tension they had felt for a while. After their conversation a week ago, something had changed. It was bothering him too much to just let anything go unsaid. He had to try, at least.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Daniel looked up from his book. “Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

David frowned. It almost seemed passive-aggressive. Like Daniel knew something was wrong, but was mad at himself for it being that way.

“You’re lying to me, Danny. I can tell.”

“I’m not. I assure you, I’ll be fine.”

“You’ll _be_ fine or you _are_ fine?”

“ _David._ ” Daniel’s voice was harsh, a command. There was a pull in David’s chest, and he sat up.

“I know you’re not a fan of the past, but do you remember the promise we made?”

“I do,” Daniel sighed.

“You remember we said we’d always talk about the things that bother us, no matter what, right?”

“David, this isn’t something I can just...discuss. It’s complicated.”

“It doesn’t matter. Does it concern me?”

“Yes.”

“Then I need to know.”

Daniel tried to formulate a lie, anything to get him out of this, but he couldn’t think straight. David was right, but telling him would spoil his plan. He needed this to work, and David’s persistence was getting in the way.

“I can’t tell you. Please, just let it go, love,” he finally said, picking his book up again.

David’s shoulders sank at the desperation in Daniel’s tone. He didn’t want to push— it never lead to anything good—but this might be the best time to. Daniel seemed like he wasn’t going to give up, so he opted it better to forget about it.

He sighed, and laid back down, staring out the window at the moon.

“Hey,” Daniel said softly.

“Yeah?” He said, turning to face him.

“I love you, you know that, right? I love you more than anything.”

David stared at him for a moment, then nodded. “I...I love you too.”

Daniel leaned down for a sweet kiss, and they went back to what they were doing.

After this conversation, Daniel’s mood shifted, but it was more forced. A ‘content’ smile at all times, paired with tired, stormy eyes. He never matched. Compliments were made more often; he seemed to be trying to make the best out of every moment. It worked, surprisingly, but his underlying grief got in the way of his usual charm.

Jen told him to perk up, which didn’t help at all, and she saw that. They had a deep discussion on what to do, and decided it might be best to move the date to an earlier time. The sooner it was over, the better.

But something happened. Something that messed up everything. Jen called David, almost screaming and definitely crying, saying Daniel was gone. That familiar sinking in David’s chest appeared again, and he hurried to the base as fast as he could.

Jen met him outside, biting her nails. She gasped when she saw him, and grabbed his hands. “He took him! I saw it, he knocked him out and,” she paused to choke back a sob, “they got him…”

“Who? Who is him?” David asked.

“He’s...using Dan as blackmail; bait. He’s after you. You can’t go.”

David narrowed his eyes in thought, and then it hit him. That man, who came to his apartment building, the closet, the waiting, the search, the kiss that broke them both; it was him.

“What can we do?” David asked solemnly.

“I-I don’t know! I don’t think—”

Jen was cut off by David’s phone. He was getting a call from Daniel, and he gave Jen a skeptical look. She stared at it fearfully, shaking her head slightly. He answered it anyways.

“Danny? Where are you? Jen’s—”

“Davey! Hey, babe, how are you doing? I’m at the—” there was a pained gasp, and a faint chuckle, “—warehouse, on uh, 43rd? Can,” a sharp _whack_ , then the sound of him spitting. “Can you pick me up? I’m sorry baby, I’m so—” Daniel hung up before he could finish.

“Davey”? “Babe”? Something was wrong. David turned to Jen with wide eyes. It was happening again.

Daniel was kidnapped.

 

“Call 911, Jen, quickly,” David tossed her his phone and climbed into the driver's seat. She dialed it, and explained the situation.

“Okay, thank you!” She hung up the phone, and breathed in shakily. “Oh, God, David. Is Daniel going to be okay?”

“How long has he been gone?” David asked. He desperately needed to disobey traffic laws, but that could slow him down even more if he was caught.

“All day. Maybe since yesterday, I can’t remember.”

David bit his lip. They were halfway there, he had his gun and a pair of handcuffs, but would that be enough? Daniel had said that he couldn’t take him down, and that there was an even smaller chance of David being able to.

What David knew was that that man wanted him, according to Daniel, as a chance to surpass Campbell, or take over his organization. Now he knew why. Campbell was gone, possibly forever, and Daniel was the leader now. If the man got what Daniel loved, he’d have everything. Torturing Daniel wasn’t enough, this was a trap.

The breaks screeched in the driveway of the warehouse, but David didn’t exit. Why didn’t he go for David first? Just for the fun of it? To show Daniel who’s boss? Why would that matter?

Too many thoughts rushed around David’s head, he almost forgot to breathe. Jen was outside, pacing and waiting.

Finally, David stepped out of the car with his barely collected thoughts. He could do this. Gun in his hands, handcuffs ready, David approached. It occurred to him he wasn’t wearing his bulletproof vest, but that was a worry for another time. Sort of.

He kicked the door open, gun ready. He bit his lip to prevent any tears at the sight before him.

Daniel was tied to a chair with thick wire in the middle of the room, bloodied and bruised. David wasn’t sure if he was breathing. A quick glance around confirmed they were alone, and David put away his gun and ran to Daniel.

“Danny!” he said, cupping his face. He was breathing, but barely, and he looked so exhausted.

“Hey, baby,” Daniel whispered.

“Don’t talk, save your voice. Backup’s on the way, stay with me,” David was giving Daniel order after order. He stood up and took his gun out.

“Cover your ears,” he said.

“I can’t move my hands, love.”

“...right.”

David shot the wire, and flinched at the noise. He quickly tore the rest off, cutting his hands up in the process.

“Can you stand?” David asked, throwing the wire to the side.

“I don't think so. David,”

“Come on, get up, I’ll help you,”

“David, I don’t think I’m going to make it,”

“Don’t say that. You can make it.”

“I can’t. David, I can’t,”

David tried to help him out of the chair, but he just fell to the floor with a pained cry.

“I’m so sorry!” David knelt down and helped him sit up.

“David, I love you,”

“Stop. Stop talking, you’re going to be okay,” David’s vision was blurred by his tears. He would make it. He had to.

“David,” a hand reached up to caress his face; a bloody hand wiping away tears, “you have to let me go. I’ll be okay.”

“I can’t...I can’t let you die…” David sobbed.

“You don't have a choice. It’s alright.”

“It’s not! You can’t leave me again!”

Daniel was quiet for a moment, searching David’s watery eyes. “Darling, you can’t stop this. Take your team to the base. Campbell will be there at ten, arrest or kill them all. The man who brought me here will be back soon, the cops will be here sooner. Campbell gets arrested, I’ll get some peace. You have to as well.” There was a small smile, a glimmer in a storm. “You won’t forget me, right?”

David laughed a bit, nuzzling Daniel’s hand. “I won’t. I promise.”

“You don't have to promise. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

They heard sirens, and David’s team burst through the door. Daniel was taken away by an ambulance with Jen going with him, the man was caught trying to run away.

All that was left was the choice. He could go see Daniel now, or take his team to the base. It was eleven, Campbell was there. In the end, he decided that Daniel could wait. He’d still be alive, after all. So he took his team to the base.

It was a success, with only ten having to be shot down. The rest were arrested, and David felt a sense of pride. Then he remembered Daniel, and rushed to the hospital.

 _They would be okay_ , he told himself. We can make it. Daniel’s been through worse, this is nothing.

Jen had texted him the room long before he got to the hospital, so he dashed through the doors and up the stairs, taking a few seconds to catch his breath. When he reached the room, Jen was sitting outside on a chair, sobbing into her hands. His pace slowed. The nurse turned his way, and it didn’t look like she had good news.

“Are you David Orchard?” she asked slowly.

David could only nod, his throat was too dry to speak.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Orchard. He didn't make it.”

It was like he was hit by a truck. Everything slowed, he became more aware of the deafening silence and his own heartbeat. Faces became blurry. He held his breath.  

David shook his head dumbly. “No...no, he…” his legs struggled to keep him up, and he grabbed onto a chair to hold himself.

Jen glanced over and stood, wrapping her arms around him in a hug to help him stay steady, whispering something he didn’t hear. An apology, maybe. Maybe the cliche “It’s okay”; a dirty lie. Maybe it was something else, something he hadn’t heard before. Whatever it was, he couldn’t hear it, all he could hear was a dull ringing that overshadowed every other sound in the room.

He was home, but Daniel wasn’t there. Home was with him, but now that he was gone, so was home. For two hours, he stood in the middle of the room, swaying slowly, staring at the air. Spiritually out of existence. His body and mind were in an empty room, waiting for someone to come back and hold him, but his soul was wandering, on a vacation to find something— _anything_ —to keep him there.

He visited a vague memory of Jen and the nurse having to hold him back, pulling him from the room Daniel was in. Tears had flooded his vision, and he couldn’t see. He remembered asking anyone to help, to try again. He could still be alive, maybe. Why didn't they try again?

Now he stood, alone, in a room with nothing but his thoughts. For time to time, he’d hear a soft voice, calling his name, but he never looked at it. It could just be Kevin, trying for the millionth time to get him to eat or drink, or it could be Daniel, asking David to follow him.

Somehow, he ended up in his room, his eyes glued to the ceiling, still wearing his boots. Some part of him was afraid to go to sleep, only to wake up and find out that this wasn’t a dream. Another part _had_ to sleep, to confirm it was a dream. He’d wake up, and Daniel would be standing over him with that stupid smirk and a clever compliment. Something like, “It’d take a million of me to make up a tenth of your beauty”. He had said that before, but he’d find a new way to compliment him. He always did.

So David closed his eyes, and let himself sleep. When he woke, he felt empty. His eyes hurt from all that crying, his throat as dry as a desert, and his head pounding. Jen sat beside him, holding a glass of water. Her makeup was running slightly, as if she had cried on the way here. She wasn’t wearing her usual bored expression or sassy smirk, but a dull frown, quiet eyes that said nothing in particular.

“Here. You should drink. I put some crushed up aspirin in it. Might help,” she said softly.

David sat up and took the water, staring at it for a moment. “It wasn’t a dream, was it?” His voice could barely go above a whisper.

Jen parted her lips to say something, but sighed instead. “There’s someone here to see you. He says his name is Jasper.”

David sipped the water, and it had a hint of lemon in it. “Okay,” he said.

With another sigh, she stood up and left. David could hear her talking quietly to someone outside his door, and Jasper walked in.

“Hey, Davey,” he said softly. “How are you doing?”

David just shrugged. He was crying already. His eyes kept glancing to the bedside table, in hopes that a cup of hot cocoa would be waiting for him.

“Lafayette really helped us. Jason’s happy as a clam; Campbell is in jail and so is everyone who worked for him. You helped us catch a ton of bad people, Davey.”

“I didn’t. _Daniel_ did,” David corrected. He took another sip of the water. “He’s the one you should thank.”

Jasper was quiet, shooting a glance to the doorway where Jen was standing. She shrugged.

“Davey…”

“Stop calling me that. It’s David.”

“...What? Why?”

“It’s...it’s a long story I don’t want to get into right now. I just don’t like being called that.” A weight lifted off David’s chest, and he almost sighed in relief.

“I...sorry. I’ll stop.”

“Thank you.”

The room was silent. David stared bitterly into his cup, and Jasper awkwardly looked out the window.

“Why did he have to die, Jasper?” David asked faintly. His angry expression diminished, leaving a delicate grief in its place. “It’s not fair. He helped us. He helped me. It’s not fair.”

Jasper hesitated. “Life...isn’t fair, David. It never has been. I’m sorry for what happened, but Lafayette made a sacrifice for the better.”

“But I knew too! I knew where the base was, he didn’t need to die to get you there.”

“What?” Jasper narrowed his eyes in confusion. “You _knew_ where it was this whole time?”

“No, not...really. Just for...a couple weeks? It doesn’t matter.”

“Uh, it kind of does matter. Maybe if you had told us the location of the base, Lafayette wouldn’t be dead!”

David stared at him for a long time. “Campbell had just gotten there, you _ass._ You wouldn’t have arrested Campbell because he wouldn’t be there.” David stood, stumbled, and righted himself. “This isn’t about what I knew. Daniel isn’t dead because of me. The man who killed him is in jail.”

He pushed passed Jen and stormed his way to the rooftop. There, as soon as the fresh air hit his face, he was able to relax, and he was able to cry again.

Still crying, but not as hard, David approached the edge of the building, looking out. This was the place where they agreed to be a couple again, the place where Daniel kept his promise, the place where they discussed what would happen. He could imagine Daniel next to him, saying something witty and charming. Something like, “Isn’t Jasper the name of that ghost baby?”

David would laugh. “No, dummy, that’s Casper.”

“Ah, I see. That’s been bugging me for weeks, you know.”

“I called him Casper the first time we met on accident.”

“Casper and Jasper don’t sound alike at all, you liar.”

“I did! I was thinking about how weird his name was and I thought about how similar it was to Casper the Friendly Ghost and then I called him that! I swear!”

Daniel would be laughing, beautifully, shaking his head. “Casper the Friendly Ghost? Darling, Jasper is anything but friendly, at least in this case.”

David would smile at him, then turn to the sky with a sigh. “Yeah, I know. Maybe he’ll come around.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure about that, love. Forgiveness is not always deserved, even if he is your best friend.”

“I guess.”

“Alright. You do whatever you want to do, love.”

There would be a kiss on David forehead, and an arm around his shoulder.

David soaked in this false memory. A conversation where he played both parts was no conversation at all, but it was satisfying nonetheless. For a moment, Daniel was alive, and right next to him. Sure, David may have given him a script of what he wanted him to say, but he read it perfectly. Daniel was here, for a while, but now he was gone. He was gone forever, and there might have been something David could have done.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry but it had to be done. Well, not really, but im doing it anyway  
> Don't leave yet! It's not over. i'm going to go to 19 so stay tuned! Again, thanks for reading, and dont be afraid to let me know what you think


	18. Believer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And so...

Still going through his grief, David decided to move. Surprisingly, Kevin offered to move with him, and he was more than happy to comply.

David moved into a neighborhood on Rosewood Street, finally having his own house. Kevin moved into the house next to him, and he was welcome anytime. David even made him a copy of his key, just in case something were to happen.

After spending a long time thinking, David quit his job. He couldn’t do his job without thinking about what else he could have done to save Daniel, and it was too much. He got a job at a woodworking shop, and seemed to have a knack for it. In about a year, he could make a few good quality sculptures and a few furniture items.

His neighborhood was full of kind people who often brought over food for him. They threw him a party on his birthday, and he almost cried. He had made a ton of friends, both inside and out of work, but remained single. He had tried dating, but it never felt right.

Now, he was arriving home. Today had been rather normal, with only a few rude customers, but fine nonetheless. The best always outnumbered the worst. He saw that his door was already unlocked, and suspected that Kevin was inside.

He swung open the door, and was about to call out when he heard two voices, talking softly.

“Thank you for keeping an eye on him while I was gone. I don’t know how to repay you,” a voice spoke.

Kevin sighed in thought. “Money’s good, if ya can. Bit low on food, and the neighbors don’t like me as much as they do Dave. And I feel bad for always stealin’ his food.”

“Ah, that I can do.”

David held his breath. “Kevin? I’m home,” he called.

There was hurried shuffling, and Kevin peaked around corner of the living room with wide eyes. “Dave! You’re home early! There’s, uh, someone here for ya. Don’t scream too loud.”

David sighed, assuming Jasper was back to apologize again, and nodded. Kevin hurried out with a wave, and David set down his stuff.

“Jasper, I told you. You can’t just come into my house and—” David stopped dead.

There on the couch was not Jasper. This person was a man, slightly taller than David, with blond hair and sparkling sky blue eyes, in a neat white collared shirt and grey pants, looking slightly anxious.

Daniel stood, wearing the smallest smile. “Hello, David.”

David stared at him.

“It’s—”

“You. Son of a bitch.”

Daniel blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You son of a _bitch!”_ David stomped over and grabbed Daniel by the collar, getting in his face. “It has been _two fucking years,_ and you show up, _ALIVE_ , now? What in God’s name is wrong with you?” He pushed Daniel away, ignoring the tears streaming down his face.

Daniel gazed at him, looking astonished. “Well, it’s nice to see you too.”

“Don’t you pull that shit with me, you owe me an explanation, _now_ ,” David said, sticking a finger at him threateningly.

Daniel chuckled lightly, eyes half-lidded and unreadable. “Darling, if I knew you’d be this hostile, I wouldn’t have come back at all.”

It was a joke, but David was too blinded by rage to see Daniel’s terribly-timed humor. He grabbed him by the collar again, and Daniel leaned in a little so their lips were almost touching; teasing him.

“Listen here, you _ass_ , I thought you were _dead_ . I never got a phone call, or a text, or anything indicating your _aliveness_. Then, two years later—”

“One year and ten months, love,” Daniel corrected smugly.

David shook him firmly. “Shut the _fuck_ up. Two years later— _rounding up_ — and you show up in my living room, with Kevin, being an ass like that shitty evening after the bank; you acting all entitled and shit. I don’t know if I even _want_ you alive right now.”

He let Daniel go, glaring hard, and sighed sharply. He was feeling dizzy from all the shouting he had been doing, and he just wanted to go to sleep and try this day over again.

Daniel looked sadly at David for a moment. “David, I didn't have a choice.”

“You _always_ have a choice.”

“This time, I didn't. The cops were getting to close. I needed to fake my death, and come back completely clean.”

David glared at him harder. “That’s what you’ve been doing? Taking a fucking bath?”

Daniel bit his lip to prevent a smile, and turned his head away to chuckle. David felt his face heat up; he was just as beautiful as the day he left. He wished he had kissed him instead of all the scolding he had done, but he shook his head to make the thought vanish. Not the time.

“Of course not, David. I’ve been...hm, I don't know if I can actually tell you. Hold on, let me make a call—”

“Do it later,” David said suddenly. Daniel looked at him, but his expression was calm. “I just...I need to know you’re real.”

Daniel chuckled. “What, you think I’m a ghost?”

“I don’t know. You could be.”

There was another chuckle, and Daniel shook his head. “Alright, how do you want to do this?”

David took his hand and led him to the bedroom. Daniel pulled back a little, murmuring something about how it was a bit too soon, but David tugged him in, assuring him it wasn’t what he thought it was.

There was an old, tattered sketchbook on the bed, and David quickly moved it out of sight. He sat in the middle of the bed, and patted the space in front of him. Confused, Daniel climbed on and sat cross-legged across from David.

David was hesitant. This could be his imagination again, playing yet another cruel trick on him. Still, he took Daniel's hands in his own, expecting them to phase right through him. But they didn’t. They were solid, smooth; flawless in every way imaginable.

“David?” Daniel asked softly. David was crying again, quietly. He would take a hand away to wipe his eyes, but Daniel had already broken away to do so. “Hey, it’s okay, love. I’m here.”

With those words, David broke down, pulling his hands away to cover his wet face. Daniel didn't hesitate to move forward and wrap him in a hug, slowly rubbing circles into his back.

“God fucking damnit, Daniel. Why do you do this to me?” David said between sobs.

Daniel chuckled sadly. “I know, love. I didn’t want to, but I had to. Think of it this way—” he pulled away from the hug and cupped David’s tear-stained face, “—now, we can love in peace. I’m not a criminal anymore. My records are clean. It took a bit of work and payback, cashing in a few favors and maybe some blackmailing, but it’s done. I’m free. We can live in peace.”

There was a moment of silence as David soaked in the information, thinking. “You mean...you’re not…” but Daniel had already said it; they were free. No more feeling guilty for loving a criminal, he wasn’t one anymore. Even if David had quit his job as a cop, there was a weight that lifted from his shoulders, and he could finally breathe.

So, instead of saying known information, he nodded, pressing his lips lazily to Daniel’s neck. It wouldn’t qualify as a kiss, but it was an intimate action at least, somewhat.

“Are you okay?” Daniel asked softly. Another nod, and there was more silence.

“I just...Daniel, I quit my job. I feel like...you may have wasted all that time for nothing,” David murmured.

“Somehow, I knew you’d feel that way, and allow me to tell you that it wouldn’t have been any better if you had quit earlier. You’d still have a convict in your house; you’d still know. Now, you don’t have to worry. You don't have to worry at all.”

David almost laughed, but reduced it to a short hum. “You really thought this through, huh?”

“The day after the bank, I thought about any way to make this work. I just had to make sure you were in it for the long run.”

“I…” David sat up, “I don’t...what if I’m not?”

Daniel tilted his head and smiled, gorgeously. “Love, if you weren’t in for the long run, we wouldn’t be doing this. We’d still be fighting in the other room. I think you are.”

David was quiet, staring at his hands.

“How do you want to make sure? If you’re not convinced, let’s do something to convince you. _I_ know you’ll say yes, but if you feel you aren’t certain, I can do something about that.”

There was silence as David thought. He wasn’t sure, at all. He believed that Daniel had worked hard for two years to be able to clean his record and to have this moment, for David to be sitting in his lap again, but he was still hesitant. He wasn’t sure if the love he claimed kept him from moving on was still there.

So, maybe this was what he needed. Confirmation that the love they once had could still exist. Maybe it was a false hope, but Daniel seemed so sure about it. Why not try?

“If you’re so confident in it, okay. One date,” David said.

Daniel smiled brilliantly. “One date is all I need.”

“Don’t make it sound weird, you could still be a murderer for all I know.”

There was laughter from the other man, and it made David smile, too. Of course Daniel had changed his ways. He hadn’t said it out loud, but he didn’t really need to. David would have believed him anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Daniel LIVED? Of course he did, I wouldn't have continued this if he hadn't. You see a 'completed' on this piece of shit? nuh uh man I'm not finished. Anyway,I was going to do an epilogue or something but I decided it just isn't needed. Hope you like it!


	19. I've Been Here Before

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "One date is all I need."

David almost called Jen to help him pick out something to wear. Anxiousness took over his body and mind, and he felt like a child again. He was shaking one moment, then a dull numbness washed over him in the next. Then, he was back on his feet, dashing around the house after realizing Daniel was supposed to be here in ten minutes and he had just gotten out of the shower.

Once he was dressed, comfortable with a touch of fancy, he took a seat on the couch and waited in extremely nervous silence. His throat was tight and dry, his posture stiff and uncomfortable. His lip hurt from biting it so much, and he was sweating. He took a couple deep breaths, but was interrupted by the doorbell.

This sent him into a spiral, the anxiousness once again washing over him and forcing him to stay seated so as to collect himself. It took a few minutes, but he was ready to answer the door.

Of course, Daniel stood there handsomely, looking worried and confident at the same time. “You okay, David?” he asked, tilting his head.

David’s freckles disappeared behind a blush, and he nodded.

“We could move it to another day, if you like.”

“No! Uh, no, I’m fine, I’m good,” David blushed harder at his sudden outburst, and almost walked back inside to hide under the covers.

Daniel stared at him curiously, then cracked a lopsided smile and shook his head. “Alright, if you say so.” He linked arms with David and led him to the car.

“Where are we going?” David asked, slowly relaxing. Daniel held the door open as he stepped into the passenger’s side.

“It’s a secret, but I think you’ll like what I have planned.”

“Is it—”

“Guess and the date’s cancelled.”

They laughed, recalling the memory that joke originated from, and set off to their destination.

“You were messing with me when you asked if I’d just been taking a bath for all of these two years, right?” Daniel asked.

David giggled. “Maybe.”

“In such a heated moment? You must have developed a sense of humor while I was gone.”

Another laugh, and it felt like home. Warm laughter, loving looks, subtle flirting, it was like nothing had changed.

They arrived a few minutes later to a hill. Daniel went to the back and pulled out a basket. “Do you like late night picnics?” he asked with a smile.

David grinned back. “How’d you know?”

“I follow you on Twitter.”

David laughed and took Daniel’s hand. “Really? I had no idea!”

“Well, I didn’t use my own name, dummy. I used an alias.”

“I probably would have known if I followed you back.”

“Perhaps.”

More laughter, and they had made it to the top of the hill. Nothing could ruin this. Maybe something could, but David held his hope. Things could work out, he just had to make it. One date, maybe, maybe one in a million. Who knew?

“You can see the entire town from up here. The main reason I picked this spot. It’s also a Wednesday, so no one else will be here,” Daniel told David as he set up. Food and wine was out, a blanket on the grass, quiet.

“Look! I can see the school and the police station! Remember when you stabbed me twice for no goddamn reason?” David asked playfully.

Daniel laughed. “I’d prefer not to, but yes. There’s your old apartment. I think there’s someone on the roof.”

“Might be us from the past.”

“Could be. I think my old base is near there,” he pointed to a gas station.

“I remember passing that on my way there! And there’s the Richardson mansion! Gosh, it feels like a lifetime ago. That was a favorite of mine.”

“A favorite what?”

David grinned at him. “A favorite unofficial date.”

“Ah,” Daniel chuckled, “we seem to have a lot of those.”

“Mhm.”

They were quietly eating, soaking in long lost memories. For David, it was just another trip around the block. He had drowned himself in those memories for a long time, holding on to anything he could. But now, Daniel was here, and he looked at those memories in a new light.

“Did you ever ask if you could tell me what happened, or are you going to leave me in the dark?”

“You know, you asking that is making me experience some odd déjà vu,” Daniel laughed.

“Yeah, I felt it too,” David said, laughing with him,

“I did, and I can’t. I’m sorry, love, I would if I could.”

“Who am I going to tell? Jasper? Kevin seems to already know…”

“Of course he does, he works for me.”

David stared at him for a long time. “What?”

“Kevin has worked for me ever since I could request services.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking after you. I hired him years ago, about nine years, I think.”

David felt like he should be angry, creeped out, anything other than touched. But that’s what he felt; touched. Daniel couldn’t look after David, of course, so he hired someone who could.

“You’re serious?”

“Of course. I wanted to make sure you’d be okay, and I couldn’t just stick a camera on you, so I hired someone to be your roommate and keep an eye on you. He also helped run Jen’s drug operation, he was quite useful.”

“Jen had a drug operation?”

“Had? She’s _still_ running it. She was the one you were looking for at the Richardson mansion.”

“Wait, was Jen in on all this?”

“From the beginning. She helped me construct a solid plan, and I heard she had incredible acting.”

“Yeah, she got me…” David murmured.

“Aw, don’t be too upset about it. She had me going for a second, as well. Ran in with tears and a straight face,” Daniel assured, wrapping an arm around David’s shoulder.

David scooted closer to him. “She’s one hell of a woman. Drug operation, acting career, probably a social media superstar, who knows? She could do anything.”

“Don’t go fawning over her, you’re here for me,” Daniel said. He was frowning, but his tone was playful.

David grinned and kissed his cheek. “Yeah, yeah. Soulmates and whatever.”

Blushing, Daniel chuckled. “Soulmates and whatever,” he repeated. He turned his eyes towards the town below and smiled. “There’s the mall.”

“The mall! Oh, you and your stupid bomb. You had everyone convinced, even me.”

“We both know you’d tell the first person who asked.”

“Would not!” David giggled.

And for a moment, they stared at each other lovingly. Gazes flicked to lips, then away, then back. Then they were kissing, fingers traveling through hair and stupid, goofy smiles mushed together in what could be described as making out. There was laughter, and it was over. Two minutes, just because they couldn’t hold back their childish snickers, and they felt something familiar about that. That déjà vu again, having to break a kiss because they were too busy giggling to themselves.

David settled in Daniel’s lap again, and Daniel planted sweet butterfly kisses on his neck while he watched the stars.

“I never thought I’d have this three times,” David scoffed.

Daniel rested his chin on his shoulder. “How do you mean?”

“Don’t play dumb, you know what. The whole... falling in love again thing. Once when we were young, twice seven years later, and now, two years after that. It’s like you said, we keep finding each other. It’s so...it’s like it’s fate for us to happen. It’s bizarre.”

Daniel hummed. “It is. Life is bizarre, love. Luckily, three times is all it takes for fate to stick. I’m not going anywhere, if you’ll allow me.”

“Of course, Danny. I’d love nothing more.”

They kissed again, this time not breaking away to laugh, but they were still smiling.

When they pulled away, there was a stillness between them. This was the part where they said ‘I love you’. A nice conversation, playful teasing, recalling memories; the perfect time to confess.

David was afraid to. He was scared that when he said it, it wouldn’t be true. He felt it, though, that ancient love they shared, yet he still hesitated. He didn’t know why.

Daniel was waiting for David to say it first. Repeating it is easy, effortless. Telling someone before they can, that shows promise, and promise was exactly what Daniel was looking for.

“I love you,” they said at the same time. Smiles formed, and laughter erupted, shaking shoulders and covered flushed faces. David felt Daniel’s grinning lips against his neck again, and he giggled.

“Gosh, I guess that’s fate for ya,” David said.

Daniel laughed. “No shit.”

David hummed, and peaceful silence fell over them as they watched the stars. There were more kisses on his neck, and he blushed, smiling. _Just like old times_ , he thought.

After a few minutes, they were packed up and back on the road, but Daniel didn’t drop David off at his house. Instead, he made a detour to the unnamed park they used to play in.

It was late, so it was empty. It was always empty, but that vacancy felt different at night. Calmer, more inviting; like it was waiting for them.

Daniel was visibly anxious, but denied it when asked. They got out of the car, and David heard him take a deep breath. Daniel walked around the car and scooped up one of David’s hands.

“Do you know what your future will be like?” Daniel asked.

David looked at him curiously. “Of course not. Anything can happen, so I try to keep an open mind.”

“How long do you suppose you’ll love me?”

“What?” David grinned at him. “Danny, I’m pretty sure at this point I’ll love you until the end of time! What kind of question is that?” He shook his head in wonder. “Are you okay? You seem really nervous lately,” Daniel’s hand slipped out of his, but he kept talking, “maybe it’s because of our first date in two years? I know that’s what I was nervous about, but I’m not...” he turned around, and Daniel was kneeling on the ground, holding up a small box with a ring in it. “...nervous...anymore…”

Daniel chuckled and tilted his head beautifully. “Hey.”

David stared at him, his heart beating out of his chest. “Danny?”

“So, I’ve been thinking…”

David let out a breathy laugh. “Yeah?”

“We’ve known each other for...what, eleven years? That’s a long time, and I think I’ve been in love with you since the day you first climbed into my window on accident. So, given your answer to my question, I think it’s safe to say that I can marry you and be satisfied for the rest of my life, if you think you could be, too.”

Tears streamed down David’s face, and he covered his mouth, nodding. “I think I could manage,” he choked out.

The ring was cool against his finger, and the two embraced and kissed, holding on to each other like it was the end of the world.

“God, you’re so stupid,” David murmured.

“You said yes, you can’t call me stupid anymore,” Daniel chuckled.

“You get to call me your husband, I get to call you stupid. That’s part of the package. Get use to it.”

“I think I already am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UH OH THEYRE ENGAGED. life is great, fellas. I've decided to do 20 chapters afterall, this needs a satisfying ending and Im hoping thats something i can grant you. here's hoping!


	20. Walk Of Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I've seen it all, it's poetry, it's poetry, it's close to gold.

Of course, there was the question of “has he really changed?” that Daniel was sure David would ask. Yet, he never did. He seemed to assume it, and not even a hint of a conversation ever came up, even after the wedding.

Even so, the answer was “yes”. He really had changed, for the better. It took two slow years, but he made it. Now he was back with the one he loved, and all was well. He had worked his ass off to make things right, and it payed off. The police now had no reason to come barging into his home to arrest him, he was able to walk the streets of the town without having to worry about being recognized; he was free. That was all he could ask.

The question applied to more than that, he knew. It applied to “does he still kill for fun?”, and the snarky answer was he never did. It was an addiction, sort of, and he beat it. He still had nightmares, but those were calmed by the body beside him. David insisted on hanging the dream catcher he made above the bed to prevent them, and after that, they seemed to just disappear.

David was as content as he could ever be. The questions Daniel had waited for him to ask never even crossed his mind. Life was good; a cake walk, now that he was back, so why bother with silly questions he could answer himself? And he answered with the same statements as Daniel did. Daniel had changed, and he never liked killing, and he couldn’t ask for anything more.

The tapes were kept in the closet on a high shelf, but sometimes when Daniel was away, David would listen to them again. His mother’s postcard was kept in the same box, along with seven years worth of birthday cards, a note that read “back soon”, and another note with a pancake recipe on the back. The box itself always smelled like roses. They never had a name for that box; it felt too cheesy to. Every anniversary, they’d open the box again, and go through the notes while listening to the tapes and eating pancakes and drinking hot cocoa, bathing in memories and feelings.

Once in a while, David would linger on the worst of memories, Daniel’s disappearance, the bank, the police station, the day Daniel “died”; it all stuck more than he thought it would. Moving on isn’t always easy, but he was lucky he had someone to do it with. So they did.

That one day a year they allowed themselves to live in the past, but only that day. They knew the tapes and the notes and the memories by heart, but they didn't think about them that much after. They lived in the present. They looked towards the future, patiently and with hope, having learned from their past.

But for now, the sun is down and the world is quiet. The two lay asleep, dreaming of anything and everything, ready for what tomorrow will bring.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that was okay, because it's the end! Thank you all so much for reading, this fic means so much to me, as weird as that seems. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share something I love, writing and gay shit. It's been a blast.


End file.
